Why this was an early show on a Friday night, I do not know but, the moment Better Lovers took the stage the energy in the room felt like a match was just lit and the fuse was lit and then it all exploded from there. Seeing Better Lovers live is definitely an awakening experience. I’ve now seen them 4 times and each time has been a treat. Their live show is so energetic that even the most stand still people are compelled to move. Blazing through songs from their EP and impressive debut album, the only thing stopping Better Lovers was the clock. Kicking off their set with their album opener “Lie Between The Lines” then going straight into “A White Horse Covered In Blood” is a knock out 1 , 2 punch. Even when they slowed things down a bit with “At All Times” the crowd never let up. Looking around and seeing people singing/screaming along with each song was pretty awesome. This evenings stand out song live for me during Better Lovers was “Love As An Act Of Rebellion.” This song is one of my favorites of theirs and live this one takes on a whole new life of its own. You have to be there to see it. Closing out their set with “30 Under 13” is always a good time. Better Lovers really have found their own niche among their peers and I look forward to what else Greg, Jordan, Steve, Goose and Will do together as this band. There’s no shortage of talent in this band and they are only getting started.

The direct support for the evening was Glassjaw. I haven’t seen Glassjaw live since 2013 when I saw Deftones at the Greek. So getting to see them again after all these years was another treat. Glassjaw are another band that carved their own niche within the hardcore genre and would go on to inspire and influence a whole other slew of bands. You could tell there were a lot of happy people in the audience this evening particularly to see Glassjaw. Opening with “Cut and Run” from their album, Material Control was a great choice, especially when right after that it went straight into “Tip Your Bartender.” I don’t know about you but, “Tip Your Bartender” is one of my favorite track ones of all time. That song is just a fireball from the instant it kicks in. The crowd singing the chorus in unison was a joyous highlight. Even with the technical issues, the crowd was still into their set singing the bridge of “Ape Dos Mil” acapella while the band fixed what was wrong. Ending with “Siberian Kiss” was the perfect kiss to send them off for the evening. It’s awesome to have Daryl and Beck back on stage and killing it!

Now, the main event, Poison The Well. Getting to see them play You Come Before You last year was a treat all on it’s own and now getting to hear all of The Opposite Of December is just icing on the cake! It’s crazy to think that it’s been 25 years since the release of that album. I remember quite clearly seeing that CD at Tower Records and thinking that cover looks really cool and the name is rad so I bought it. Little did I know what that album would go on to do at that time. Throughout the years it became very apparent that Poison The Well was a giant influence on so many bands that would come out. The Opposite Of December while heavy in its roots showed what you can do with adding a different type of vocal into the songs and allowed the dynamic shapes to come to life. As the lights dimmed and the backdrop was lit and each member walked out on stage to a packed house at the Hollywood Palladium, and from there the next 70 minutes were just banger after banger. Opening with “12/23/93” and then right into “A Wish For Things That Work” is one hell of a way to start a show. But why stop there when you can then go straight into “Ghostchant” and then “Botchla.” I’m not sure how anyone was still standing after those 4 songs caused a mass eruption of pits and the crowd to go into an absolute feeding frenzy. From there songs from The Opposite Of December were mixed in with other choice cuts from You Come Before You, Versions, Tear From The Red which gave us “Lazzaro” for the first time in years along with the live debut of their new track “Trembling Fear” which is one hell of a comeback song! Of course no Poison The Well set is finished until “Nerdy” is played and to end the show with that was the cherry on top of an already great show. It’s been amazing to have Poison The Well back and active like this. I truly missed them. Jeff, Ryan and Chris have an undeniable chemistry and you can see it all on stage. Having Chris Hornbrook as your drummer is a cheat code! To this day, I still think he’s one of the most unique and heavy hitting drummers of the past 25 years. Poison The Well brought it to the Palladium and then some. The way the floor looked after the show was over is a great representation of the devastation they left behind!