9:30 Club: Hot Water Music, La Dispute, and The Menzingers

While I'm not a huge fan of the 9:30 Club, I was happy to see that La Dispute and The Menzingers would be playing there. My issue with the venue is the divide it creates between the artist and the crowd. I'm more of a fan of DIY style shows where there is a sense of community between the crowd and band, and you get a chance to mingle and chit-chat with the guys you came to see.
This show was fantastic and the 9:30 Club stage was my only gripe.

I was also unaware of the type of kids who listen to La Dispute...I assumed that they would be like myself--Doing their own thing without being a weirdo about it. I did not realize that a lot of 'Scene' kids listen to La Dispute. Those kids in ninth grade with too much eye-liner and hair perfectly..IN their eyes. THEY STILL EXIST. I had no idea.
I wasn't bothered by these kids but they did make my friend Eli and I feel sufficiently old.

We were wonderfully surprised to see members of Pianos Become The Teeth and United Nations show up to support La Dispute and it was just really cool seeing Jordan and Kyle from PBTT chilling and hanging out on the side of the stage. Although we did get our hopes up, wanting PBTT to be a surprise guest band, it was awesome seeing bands supporting each other in the same way you see local bands supporting each other.

The Menzingers opened and they brought a lot of energy. They put a lot of effort into their set. Anytime I see a band who is visibly passionate about their music and excited to play, it makes me that much more of a fan. I went into the show liking The Menzingers, and left it genuinely caring about them as a band. Once again, only gripe was the crowd. When a band is putting that much energy into a show, you should really give them the same energy back.
My favorite song that they played was definitely "Gates"



Next up was the band who I (and most of the crowd) had come to see.
La Dispute. I'm too big of a fan to even judge if they were good or not. I was too busy losing my shit. I don't get starstruck ever, but I turned into a small child when I touched Jordan Dreyer's arm when he came down to the crowd. I was so pumped that I didn't even realize that I was basically inside this giant dude's armpit for most of the set. Some kind soul took pity on my shorter frame and let me stand in front of him to see, remarking, "Everyone needs a chance to be able to see this."
There were a few songs that we wished they would have played, like "You and I in Unison" but really, their were Zero complaints. The crowd was incredible, everyone knew the words to every song. That's my FAVORITE thing at any show. That look Jordan Dreyer got in his eyes when everyone was singing, like as many times as he's encountered that there is still this 'Holy Shit, People love our music' feeling everytime. I love seeing a bands reaction to a crowd.
They ended with "King Park" and of course, I was tearing up half way through.



Finally, the headliner band, Hot Water Music. I feel bad, but I went into the show not knowing anything about them and so I wasn't able to get excited for them. I respect them and their set was great and the people who came to see them were going really hard through the whole set. They were great, but I had just given all my energy during the La Dispute set that I just had to sit down for their set. They have a great fan base, the crowd was really excited. The band was great, but they just aren't one of my bands.



All in all: Great show. Wish it had been at a different venue.
-CaveBear