Living nostalgia is quite a head trip. The recent Even More Outta Control tour has been almost like a blast from the past. On one hand you have two bands, Nonpoint and (Hed) PE, that have been consistently out there with new albums and tours. Then you have a band, Spineshank, that has come back to celebrate an absolute classic album in The Height Of Callousness. The three of these bands together came up at or around the same time and on this tour, have been able to transport the audience back to a raucous time!

First up was (Hed) PE who were celebrating their second album, Broke, being twenty five years young. No matter the time or lineup over the years for Hed, they have always brought it. And this night was perhaps even a few notches above that. As soon as the band hit the stage, the crowd welcomed them with a roar of noise as they began their Broke centric set with “Jesus (of Nazareth).” Then came “Killing Time” and the entire venue including the staff were deeply rocking out. With this being on the “hits” from the record, it’s no wonder it got a huge crowd pop. The next few songs kept the crowd bouncing and moshing. Quite a fun sight to see especially when “Feel Good” was played. To end their set the always fun “Bartender” went over very well. The crowd singing back during the chorus felt like it was back in the early 00’s again. What a great set by (Hed) PE. Probably one of the best I’ve ever seen them.

Next up in the direct support slot was Spineshank. Since they have been back, they’ve been on the road constantly. During that time Spineshank have made sure to emphasize the impact their second album, The Height Of Callousness had and continues to have on kids these days. Their set while it was celebrating the album, only had a handful of songs from the record with the other half coming from their third album, Self Destructive Pattern. The choice of songs from both records really hammered home how heavy and hard Spineshank is. Songs like “Asthmatic,” “Synthetic,” “New Disease,” “Smothered,” and “The Beginning Of The End” sounded great and throughout the crowd participation really made the melodic parts soar. One of the fun things to see was drummer Tommy Decker still having the cool put the stick behind the head swing. Such a signature move. To close out their set, it almost seemed like they took a shot of adrenaline because “The Height Of Callousness” and “Dead To Me” haven’t sounded that good for a long time. I’ve seen Spineshank a couple times since their recent reunion and this was the best of the ones I’ve seen.

Headling the night was Nonpoint. If you’ve never seen Nonpoint live, you’ve been missing out. The sheer amount of off the wall energy is infectious as well as invigorating. While it had been a moment since I’ve seen them live, the moment they kicked things off with the one / two punch of “Ruthless” and “The Wreckoning” that was enough to know to prepare for absolute fun. Throughout their set, the entire audience, even myself, were caught in the wave of jumping and bouncing to quite the soundtrack. Songs like “Chaos And Earthquakes,” “Buscandome,” “Dodge Your Destiny,” and “My Last Dying Breath” were absolute highlights during the set. A mini set of songs from their debut album, Statement, transported everyone back to the year 2000 as “What A Day,” Victim,” “Endure,” and “Mindtrip” rocked the house. Two new songs “Is It” and “Red Yeti” from their upcoming album, The Last Word (out 9/20), showed there is no stopping Nonpoint! And of course to close out the night was the ferocious “Bullet With A Name.” What a set from Nonpoint.

This entire night was exciting, energetic and full of absolute fun. Concerts like this are what makes fans come to shows. A great lineup, a great venue (El Corazon in Seattle), great company, and the notion that you will have a great time. While it felt like a nostalgic blast, this show also had a crowd that spanned different ages and generations. To be able to connect with younger fans through music, especially older albums, truly shows how powerful music is and why it is a necessity. All three bands have new music coming soon and those are sure to be on my list to watch out for. What a night for live music and for Nonpoint, Spineshank and (Hed) PE!

Review By: Brian Lacy
Venue: El Corazon- Seattle, WA

(HED) PE SET LIST:
01) Jesus (Of Nazareth)
02) Killing Time
03) Waiting To Die
04) Feel Good
05) I Got You
06) Bartender

SPINESHANK SET LIST:
01) Asthmatic
02) Synthetic
03) Violent Mood Swings
04) Smothered
05) Beginning Of The End
06) New Disease
07) The Height Of Callousness
08) Dead To Me

NONPOINT SET LIST:
01) Ruthless
02) The Wreckoning
03) Buscandome
04) Is It
05) Red Yeti
06) Chaos And Earthquakes
07) Dodge Your Destiny
08) Breaking Skin
09) Mindtrip
10) What A Day
11) Victim
12) Endure
13) My Last Dying Breath
14) Bullet With A Name