ENTERTAINMENT

La Zona Rosa doesn’t really seem like the kind of place to go all out decorating for Halloween. Yet, sure enough, the front room was decorated top to bottom with cobwebs, jack-o’-lanterns, tombstones and a Michael Myers figurine with beady orange eyes. Beyond the festive décor, the main room in La Zona Rosa was packed with fans waiting to see a sold out show. The line-up was The Builders and the Butchers, Thrice and, finally, Brand New. However, The Builders and the Butchers never took the stage, which, to fans’ delight, gave Brand New and Thrice nearly double the stage time. Thrice bounded onto the stage first with a harsh, bass-heavy introduction that commanded everyone’s attention. Ultimately defeating the purpose of a warm-up band, Thrice raised the energy level in the room and got everyone on their feet within minutes. Their hard alternative, fist-pumping-the-air sound was a hit for everyone in the room. A small, almost pathetic, mosh pit broke out in the middle of Thrice’s set on a particularly popular song, and a lone crowd surfer floated towards the stage only to get snatched down and escorted out of the crowd by security. The high point of Thrice’s set was a cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” As soon as Thrice hit the first note, the room went wild. The cover was harder than the original, and it definitely had Thrice’s own style all over it. In fact, the song was so powerfully exciting that it evoked the “Rock On” sign from some fans. Thrice left the stage and the fans warmed up, ready for Brand New. When Brand New took the stage, the crowd erupted. In the words of a nearby audience member, “I’ve never seen a crowd so excited.” The set started with the song “You Won’t Know.” The crowd knew every word of the first song and every word to every song after it. At times, the crowd was even louder than lead singer Jesse Lacey. Fans hung on every word Lacey spoke, and even the simplest phrases like, “We are Brand New,” caused the audience to burst into roaring cheers. Brand New released “Daisy,” their newest album, just over a month ago. Despite this new release, Brand New played only a couple of new songs, which was a downer for fans eager to hear new material. Brand New’s performance itself was exceptional. The band didn’t jump around or really move all that much except for bobbing up and down during guitar solos, yet the show was very entertaining. Lacey’s voice was just as raw as on recordings, and his screams were just as gut wrenching. The howling guitar riffs were so inspiring that one fan felt compelled to have an air-guitar solo that lasted nearly the whole show. The end of the show was met by chants of “one more song,” but unfortunately there would be no more songs. Brand New quickly walked off stage, and with music still ringing in their ears, fans were left with one question: When can we have more Brand New? [email protected]