May 9th, 2003
Mason Bowling Alley
Mason, Michigan
Bands: Once a Hero, Hope for August, Blue Light Specials, The Van Ermans, The Clydesdale Kickers, Boink.
So this is it. Our first show of the Shock and Awe Tour of 2003. We're kicking this tour off in Mason, Michigan. We've never played there before, but Mason is just south of Lansing, so we had our Lansing fans there to rock out with. The venue was basically a ballroom that was part of a bowling alley complex. We kicked things off with a reasonably rocking set, finishing off with a debut of our new song, "The Sweetest Revenge." We'll be playing it all throughout tour, so if you're going to be catching one of our shows, listen for it.
We were followed by Hope for August, with whom we've shared a stage many a time. They played all the favorites to a supportive crowd. They've also recently released their new CD, so make sure to pick up a copy. Next up were the Blue Light Specials and the Van Ermans, in that order. We weren't able to snap pictures of either of the bans, but they both played very energenic punk sets to equally as energenic crowds.
Fifth up were the Clydesdale Kickers. All of these guys were very good musicians, knew their instruments well, and it showed. I've never seen them before, but they did a great job and were really tight as a band.
Finally, Boink wrapped up what was already a rather lengthy show. I think they said they were Christian punk/ska. We didn't hear their lyrics, so we can't confirm the Christian part, but they were definately punk/ska. They played several original songs, and also did a couple covers, most notably "The Sweater Song."
Well, there's one more picture from ya. Even though this is technically our first tourdate, it made the most sense to head back home for the evening. We'll be heading out for good tomorrow, with a show in Toledo. Stay tuned for some exciting adventures as the Shock and Awe Tour unfolds.
-Once a Hero
See? We can't wait to hit the road!