SALIVA – AWAKE AT LAST – SEVENTH DAY SLUMBER – LIVE
On Friday Dec 9th, Saliva, Awake At Last and Seventh Day Slumber all converged at the Platforms Dance Club in Providence for a night of outstanding music. What was billed as a one day festival with two stages, Platforms hosted bands from all over the New England arena. Even though on the chilly side, the outdoor stage was in a heated tent and felt quite cozy. Late 9, Parts Per Million and Devil’s Champion were just a few of the locals that performed.
First up upon our arrival, Donna Eriqueezo (our photographer) and myself, was AMP favorite, Casting Shadows. We had featured the band in July. The group is comprised of Matthew Barnes (Vocals/Guitar), Dan Jackson (Bass/Vocals), Adam Bice (Guitar) and Nick Gallagher (Drums). The band sound is heavy but quite melodic. Barnes is a great frontman that puts all his energy into his live performances. Jackson’s bass was bombastic and the rest of the band’s musicianship was superb. Highlights included “Shattered View” and “Let Go”. Barnes also mentioned that the band was recently signed to Salt Of The Earth Records which is a perfect fit.
Next up was Seventh Day Slumber which is a hard hitting Christian rock ensemble. Fronted by Joseph Rojas, the band’s set was dynamic and inspiring. The rest of the band consists of Blaise Rojas (Drums), Ken Reed (Bass) and Weston Evans (Guitar). Although most of their songs are in a religious vein they still resonated with everyone. SDS don’t hit one over the head with pious posturing but leave it up to the listener to interpret their lyrics. Joseph was a strong singer and his between song banter was moving. His life experiences were thought provoking and uplifting. Songs like “From The Inside Out”, “Halos” and “Underneath The Tree” were memorable.
Awake At Last followed. Formed in Delaware in 2011, the band members are Vincent Torres (Vocals), Eric Blackway (Lead Guitar), Imran Xhelili (Guitar), Drew Hansen (Bass) and Jeff Dorber (Drums). Their sound is vibrant and edgy. Torres is a crushing vocalist. He has a profound presence and easily holds the audience’s attention. The guitars were groove laden and full of masterful licks. Hansen’s bass was hammering while Dorber’s percussions cranked. Their entire show was an explosive barrage of brazen intensity. Awake At Last recently released a five song EP entitled Save My Soul which featured the supersized hits “Save My Soul” and “The Other Side”. A new full length is expected early in 2023.
Headliners Saliva closed out the night. AMP featured Saliva when we interviewed lead singer Bobby Amaru in August. Besides Amaru, Saliva is original member Wayne Swinny (Guitar), Brad Stewart (Bass) and Sammi Bishop (Drums). The entire night the band tossed out pulverizing music that had the crowd totally enthralled. Songs like “Click Click Boom”, “Always” and “Ladies And Gentlemen” kept their old school fans happy. The songs were breathing heavy fire. Newer tunes like “High On Me” and “Crows” delivered high octane excitement. Swinny’s guitar was killer. His riffs were spectacular. Stewart’s deep bottom was galvanic. Also, it was his birthday. Bishop’s drums slammed with ferocious depth.
The entire night was a complete success. The venue may have been small but the audience was really into all the artists. In addition, Donna and I had the opportunity of meeting Bobby Amaru and Vincent Torres. It was an honor. Amaru is an extremely amicable individual. As is his sister Amanda who’s Saliva’s tour/merch manager. A great evening in all.
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