Bad Copy

So you’re telling me I not only get to see one of my new favorite bands Weakened Friends again for a third time in the past few months, but I also get to see them with Rodeo Boys in Detroit?! What a great way to start winding down the rest of the year as I shift into hibernation mode from the wintery cold hell of Michigan that is starting to creep in. It was awesome that I’d also get to see both bands in a bit of a different environment from the Riot Fest and Fest 23 stage setups we had earlier. I haven’t seem many shows at Lager House, but they have been bringing in more and more great acts lately, on top of some great local shows they have here. On top of all this my good friend Curtis, who I also cover Riot Fest and Movement with for Broke-Ass Stuart, is joining in on the fun.

Rodeo Boys kicked off the night to a already pretty packed crowd. It was fun to see them come through again, and always great to see the Detroit crowd show up in full force for such a great band. They ripped through a handful of songs, and even threw in some new ones from their recent release Junior as well. I’m not kidding, I’ve had “All American Man” stuck in my head and on repeat since hearing them play it last weekend. They really kicked off the energy for the night and had the crowd hyped and excited for it all. I re-caught up with Curtis for a bit after their set, but realized this show was about to get very packed very quickly. Before we knew it, the room filled up and we were already separated by the many people excitedly pouring in to see the show. I claimed a tiny bit of space that was left by the front stage and prepped up my gear for the tiny low-light settings of the second/final act of the night.

Next up was Weakened Friends! It has been a busy and eventful last few months for them. Fresh off their new album Feels Like Hell released last month, a handful of festivals, and currently halfway through their Feels Like Hell tour. They were one of the first bands to open up Riot Fest’s third day back in September (and my introduction to the band). We had a handful of friends and people at Riot recommend not missing them, and I was blown away by their set and instantly became a fan. They are so much fun live, with an amazing message, great music and so much electricity together on stage. Every single time I saw them has been so much fun to cover, and also an absolute pain for myself to narrow photos down because every single shot captures so much of their energy (Seriously trying to narrow a set from them to just 20-30 photos was a challenge).

It was also great to switch up the scenery/setting and see them in quite a different atmosphere this time. We got to hear a lot more songs compared to the shorter festival sets, and going from the giant stages during the day to a smaller venue with a lot of fans singing back to them together really added a intimate feeling to it all. Again it was incredible to see Detroit show up in full force for their show and pack the Lager House to a capacity I’ve never actually seen myself. I was definitely feeling some pressure though with how full it got, especially without having a photo pit to take advantage of like some of the other spots I’m used to covering. I managed to hold it down at the front of the stage while they opened with “Not for Nothing” and “NPC” (another personal favorite that plays in my head a lot). I then felt guilty and in the way with the camera, felt I got enough good shots in, and started the attempt to make my way to the back so I wasn’t obstructing anyone else’s view. It seemed like I took two steps back and then was suddenly at the very back of the venue. I also realized very quickly there was no way I’d be making my way back up at all. It was a lot of fun to catch the rest of their show from the very back where I could see so many fans singing, raising their hands in the air, and having an amazing time helping them sing their cover of Torn from Natalie Imbruglia.

Overall it was another great night with some very great bands and friends. I had an amazing time once again, and loved the change of environment for it all seeing these bands once again. There is so much talent and fantastic music from both Rodeo Boys and Weakened Friends, and I’m excited to see where it all takes them as they grow even bigger over this next year!