Senses Fail

Some bands are simply better suited for a smaller stage. Sometimes, a more intimate venue allows a band to truly fill the room. They can interact with their fans and get right in their face. It can lead to a more visceral concert experience.

Senses Fail is not one of those bands.

Playing at Bogart’s Wednesday, Oct. 28, Senses Fail was able to adequately fill the space with their blend of hardcore and screamo. Too bad their supporting acts did little to pump up the crowd for the finale.
Due to confusion of the show’s starting time, I missed Fact, the opening act. But judging by the reaction to the band’s name when Senses Fail’s leader singer Bud Nielsen gave them a shout out, I didn’t miss much.
Next up was the Australian act Closure in Moscow. This is an act well suited for a smaller club. If they had more time to craft their sound, they might have had a chance at impressing some new fans.

But sadly, they were in Bogart’s and their sophomoric take on The Mars Volta style sound was lost. Their attempts at progressive guitar work and high flying vocals sounded more like a group of high schoolers practicing in their basements. They meant well, and the core structure is set, but the X factor isn’t. With a little more time to hone their sound and make it their own, they may have a shot at success. But that time hasn’t yet come.

Next up were the scenecore staples, A Skylit Drive. The crowd’s reaction showed the band was well received. Their blend of heavy keyboard mixing, breakdowns thrown in at every opportunity and a singer who can pierce eardrums with his falsettos was a big hit with the children. Their skinny jeans and V-neck shirts probably helped, too.

While the instrumentation was passable, vocalist Jag Jagmin’s singing is what killed the mood. Anything resembling head banging or dancing pretty much stopped when Jagmin began to sing. A friend of mine perhaps said it best, saying, “I didn’t know animals were allowed in here. Who let a chipmunk sing?”

While the fans of ASLD surely enjoyed the act, the rest of the crowd took the time to check their MySpace on their Sidekicks.

Luckily, Senses Fail was able to put on a show worthy of the venue, even if Bogart’s was only at approximately one-third capacity. When comparing material from their new album, “Life is Not a Waiting Room” to their previous works, maturity is a big factor in the evolution. The guitars are crunchier, the bass and drums meaner and Nielsen’s vocals more vicious. Throughout the set, it was easy to differentiate between their new and old music.

Always a little neurotic, Nielsen’s on stage banter was a bit off-putting. He remembered and apologized for ranting at the Cincinnati show of the Vans Warped Tour the previous summer.

As the show progressed, Senses Fail blasted through many of their greatest hits. This might not have been in Senses Fail’s best interest. While it surely made many longtime fans happy, a more powerful mix of old and new cuts would have kept the energy level higher.

Overall, openers that failed to engage the whole audience flawed the show. Senses Fail performed admirably, as they always do. But perhaps a stronger set list would have really knocked the performance home. But when you play to a venue that isn’t close to selling out, sometimes all the energy in the world is for naught.