The Alarmists CD Release at First Avenue - July 20, 2007
Source: morecowbell.net
The Alarmists are one of the most well-liked local bands here in Minneapolis, and for good reason. They’re just nice guys. Ok, that and the fact that their own brand of British mellow-rock is pretty fantastic. On July 20, 2007, The Alarmists released their first full-length CD The Ghost and the Hired Gun. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the boys played an in-store at the Fetus and had articles in the Pioneer Press and Reveille Magazine. They also booked an awesome lineup for their CD release show, which packed First Avenue’s mainroom. Jelloslave, White Light Riot, and The Debut warmed up the crowd, but it was really The Alarmists that everyone was there to see. Did they deliver? Hell yes.
The evening started with Jelloslave, which is probably not quite what the audience expected. Jelloslave consists of two cellists who don’t play by the rules. They smack their bows down on the strings and move them so quickly you almost expect a fire to break out on one of their instruments. It’s beautiful and strange at the same time, and you can’t help but be transfixed by the noisy creature emulating from the stage.
White Light Riot was up next, and the quality show we’ve come to expect occurred yet again. They slammed through crowd favorites “Out Of Sight” and “Transit State,” while people banged their heads and moved their feet in time to drummer Mark Schwandt’s less-than-gentle beats. Fabulous. I’d never seen The Debut before, but they were a perfect opener for The Alarmists, with their tendency to mix a bit of punk and old-school rock and roll. They riled the crowd up just right.
What everyone was there to see, of course, were The Alarmists, and so when the curtain went down the room began to buzz. People of all ages pushed forward toward the barrier. Earlier that afternoon, the band was worried about filling the venue. They were concerned it would look empty and than no one was going to come. I knew better, and kept repeating the mantra, “you’ll be fine.” Fine they were, as over 1000 people crammed into First Avenue to hear The Alarmists play their new CD, as well as encoring the show with the most popular tracks from their EP A Detail of Soldiers.
The band played The Ghost and the Hired Gun in its entirety, and you could already tell which tracks are crowd favorites with “Light a Smoke,” “Hired Gun,” and “Walking Away” garnering the most response. The new CD is full of singable, catchy tunes, and it really transfers well to the live stage show. The Alarmists ended their show with a trio of their older tunes, creating quite a frenzy in the audience. Lead singer/guitarist Eric Lovold then finished off the evening by digging up his inner hard core rocker, thrusting his guitar through drummer Ryan Mach’s bass drum. Lovold held up his guitar like a prize for all to see, and then placed it carefully on the ground. At that point he stood alone on stage, and spoke for the entire band as he raised his hands toward the crowd in humble thanks.
Jelloslave
Joe Christenson of White Light Riot
White Light Riot
Ben Gurstelle of The Debut
Ben Mulhern of The Debut
Jorge Raasch of The Alarmists
Eric Lovold, Tony Najm & Ryan McMillan of The Alarmists
Friends of The Alarmists sing along during the encore
The Alarmists just before Eric Lovold put his guitar through the bass drum
…and the crowd goes wild!
For full photo set, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnconcertphotos/sets/72157600941946928/
