Review & photos by Rachel Jablonski
Who knew that I would develop such immense battle scars? I would not have guessed, but the day I woke up after seeing 40 Below Summer, Flaw, and Ill Nino at the Royal Grove black and blue I was. On my right forearm still appears a black, green, and purple mesh of bruised tissue in an oval shape measuring approximately 2 inches in horizontal diameter and 3 inches in vertical diameter. And don’t forget about the streak of discolored flesh on the other arm! To my surprise I look like I’ve endured serious injury though I don’t remember taking any blows quite that harsh. Just how did it happen?
Two years ago I proclaimed “Rope” by 40 Below Summer to be my song of the year for 2002. Since then I have been curious to see the band live. Now I finally had my chance. But “Rope” was not played on this particular night. Were it not for the powerful set with a good mix of songs from Invitation to the Dance and 40 Below Summer’s latest release Mourning After, I may have been extremely disappointed. However, the energy was high and the crowd loved every rhythmic minute. You don’t often see a pit breaking out during an opening act, but kids were flying in every direction. The highlight of the 40 Below Summer set may have been the resounding chant near the end. “Fuck The Darkness. I don’t know about you, but I hate that band. Do you want to see your music future carry down that path? I do not believe in a thing called love. Fuck The Darkness!” proclaimed vocalist Max Illidge, “Get your fingers in the air and say it with me. ‘Fuck The Darkness! Fuck The Darkness!’” And at the conclusion of the last song, “We have a new shirt available, go check it out. It reads ‘Fuck the Darkness, Follow the Sun.’” Laughing, I found it an appropriate conclusion to an overall good set.
"God Loves Flaw” and so do the fans in Lincoln. Singing along word for word, heads hammering in unison, fans on the floor could not seem to get enough. The energy was as intense, if not more so, than when I saw Flaw with Life of Agony just a few months ago. On tour in support of their sophomore disc, Endangered Species, which is now in stores, the band did an excellent job of intertwining old favorites with new song surprises. The audience response was impressive. Toward the end of the set one hardcore follower wrote “God Loves Flaw” with black permanent marker on his white t-shirt and proudly (as well as loudly) announced his artistic impulse before throwing it on stage. The band was amused and singer Chris Volz proudly held the shirt up, smiling, for all to see. The mutual respect between the band and fans was nauseatingly radiant, but definitely made for a successful set which left the audience fulfilled.
Out of nowhere,
like a swift blow to the arm, thundered the headliners. When Ill Nino took
the stage, the air became dense with 100% pure tortured pleasure. It was
definitely the most intense show I’ve been to in quite some time.
Up front taking pictures, I was unavoidably vulnerable to the many pushes,
whacks, and bashes behind me, but, of course, in my long show going career
this was nothing too surprising. It was, in fact, excellent to see such
strong involvement among the crowd. Blinding strobe lights in synch with
the welcomed heavy backdrop numbed my senses allowing me to focus strictly
on the sounds I had come to hear. It was great to hear some of my old favorites
from the first release, Revolution Revolución, such as “I
am Loco,” “Unreal,” and “Comes Around,” as
well as new songs from Confession. Ill Nino puts on a great show
and I highly recommend seeing them when they come to town. The energy is
amazing and the music is fantastic. A great mix of screaming and singing,
both in English and in Spanish, remarkably heavy guitars, and, the highlight
in my mind, an awesome mix of drum beats and percussion are simply unbeatable
live. Though I remember taking some hard hits while up front trying to take
pictures, I really do not remember being impacted much. It was only when
I woke up the next morning with huge black and blue bruises that I realized
I must have taken a beating during Ill Nino’s set. Though the marks
have lasted longer than a week and the questions from peers as to what happened
are numerous, the experience was absolutely worth it and I am willing to
go through the affliction again next time Ill Nino comes around.