Listen here; punk, The Rebel Lounge (I was not calling you a punk, I was saying you could have listened to punk rock at The Rebel Lounge during The Hostage Situation Reunion (THSR) 2024).
If you are familiar with local bands in the scene from 10-20 years ago, you are familiar with the line-up that was involved in THSR. Hosted by THE HOSTAGE SITUATION, this night featured the talents of AND A HERO FAILS, BEYOND THE CITADEL OF COUP DE GRACE, A STEP AHEAD, and DEATHDOTGOV. Not only was the reunion a feel-good opportunity for the bands and their fans, but the entire night was an opportunity to do good, as all proceeds were donated to Rosie’s House, a nonprofit that helps kids access high-quality music education.
Kicking off the night with deathdotlove, was deathdotgov. A lounge full of rebels and a stage full of angst, deathdotgov primed everyone for what was yet to come. With one of the hardest drum machines disguised as a human and a twin sax accompaniment, there was no ramping up of energy; it started at the top.
As the next band made their way ahead of the steps to the stage, A Step Ahead kicked off the second round of this five-round bout with music. Not only was the stage cracking and popping from the level of energy being exerted, but so were their bones. Crepitus aside, A Step Ahead made sure to point out that age will not keep them from having a good time.
The next band to grace the stage beyond round two was Beyond The Citadel Of Coup De Grace. Midway point of the night; not a single chance the atmosphere was going to diminish anytime soon. With strained vocals and guttural exclamations throughout their set, Beyond The Citadel pushed through beyond round three.
Our heroes of round four did not fail this reunion; And The Hero Fails brought us to the beginning of the end. If you thought The Rebel Lounge did not have room for a moshpit, you are sorely mistaken; And The Hero Fails riled up the crowd from the first beat of percussion. Rippin’ and tearin’, bassin’ and snarin’, no jumping Jehoshaphat in this crowd as they were successful in keeping the energy peaked throughout their set. Their stage presence being a glimpse of what was to come while their animated movements rocked the venue in preparation for The Hostage Situation.
Round five; the metaphorical bell rings, the crowd captured by the stage, a situation appears on stage. The Hostage Situation jumped into their set–literally–and the crowd knew exactly what to do, mimicking their output. Now, if you have never witnessed The Hostage Situation live, stage presence is second nature to these guys; they could command a football field worth of stage if given the chance. Lead vocalist BRANDON KELLUM ran out of stage room multiple times, resorting to jumping through the crowd and still keeping the vibes rolling.
Speaking of rolling, barrel rolls and drum rolls, both were present during the set. Kellum may have felt he was being unfair by taking crowd space from attendees, so he returned the favor and brought the crowd up on the stage to belt out the vocals with him. It was a high octane experience that you should definitely check out in 2025 when the next reunion reveals itself.
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