Review & photos by Rachel Jablonski
I was drawn to the hair. Not in an oh my god let me run my fingers through that fine mop kind of way, but more along the lines of can he see and am I ever going to get a good picture of his face?
Strongsville, Ohio-based Switched, led by vocalist/producer Ben Schigel [Chimaira, Drowning Pool, Breaking Point], exhibited quite a flop at 3rd Street Live in Cedar Rapids, IA while on tour with reunited Louisville, Kentucky-based band Flaw. Oh Switched did a fabulous job on stage with a good balance of singing and screaming, a heavy atmosphere with lots of distortion, and a stage presence that enticed the crowd. The flop I'm talking about is on the shaved head of the guitarist that seemed to really catch my attention.
Locks and tresses aside, the live performance of the rock band, full of energy and flare which very subtly reminded me of the band Skrape, has led me to comb through and untangle the mystery of what the band is actually promoting on this tour.
The last two releases from Switched came January 10, 2006 when their debut album, Subject to Change, was re-released on Corporate Punishment Records. On the same day, a two-disc album called Ghosts in the Machine, containing rarities, b-sides, and demos of the band, was also released on the label. But that was over a year ago. With no new release and currently no rumor of any up and coming album, the band has managed to pronounce themselves alive and well and will be successfully rocking stages around the country leaving audiences wondering, What's next for Switched?