Unfortunately, I arrived to Canton Hall late for the evening and missed the first three songs of Sumo Cyco and I do want apologize to them for that. A four piece Canadian rock band that, to me, has taken a No Doubt influence and thrown a hardcore twist on it. Heavy instrumental and vocal prowess balanced by softer clean vocal sections combine for a beautiful mix. They pack an in-your-face stage presence that literally spills over into the pit. Vocalist Sever mingled with the crowd several times throughout the evening, shaking hands and giving hugs. This was the first time I have heard of Sumo Cyco, but I’m now a fan! At one point Sever was on Matt “MD” Drake’s shoulder’s as he balanced and she sang – all while not missing a note! That is just insane.
Cane Hill is a force to be reckoned with in the heavy metal scene. A four piece from New Orleans, Louisiana, who formed in 2011, they have been on an onslaught on the scene ever since. I’ve listened to them a little, but I wouldn’t call myself a regular listener. Front man Elija Witt is a massive vocal talent that is surrounded by brilliant musicians on the other three corners. Covering every inch of the stage he made sure every section of the crowd felt appreciated. I walked out that evening with a whole new appreciation for the monster that is Cane Hill. They executed smoothly through the entirety of the set, switching between chatting up the crowd and joking around with each other. They got the crowd moving and pulled in a lot of the stragglers hanging towards the back of the venue. I cant think of a bad thing to say about the guys. Keep it up!
The Butcher Babies were supposed to go on at 8:10, but did not make it out to the stage until roughly 8:40 – completely killing all the momentum that Sumo Cyco and Cane Hill built with the first two sets. There seemed to be an issue with a laptop with multiple people having to try their hand at solving the issue. Once the Goliath that is Butcher Babies took the stage the mishap was forgotten and front-women Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey took over. Their energy consumed the masses and the crowd surged forward. The vocal range of these two women is absolutely absurd, they cover the deep growls and those usually harsh highs effortlessly. Heidi took a few moments to greet the fans that got there early by jumping down to the guard rail to let them get up close and personal. They aren’t exactly the chattiest bunch, but that could have been due to the massive delay in the evening. I saw them for the first time when they opened for another female fronted rock band and my god they have done nothing but improve. If you have not already seen them live, I highly recommend you catch them on the next run through Texas. Bravo ladies and gents.
Hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nonpoint was originally formed in 1997 and they have seen quite a few member changes, but original lead vocalist Elias Soriano and drummer Robb Rivera remain. I must say this line up works great live. The night was already running incredibly late, but they handled it in stride, quelling the restless crowd with high energy aerial maneuvers and an all-over-the-place approach to the stage. One interesting thing I like was that the drummer Robb Rivera was facing parallel to the crowd allowing far more interaction instead of being hidden by his drum kit. Elias Soriano is one hell of a vocalist who commands the attention of the crowd and holds it until he is done for the evening. I was a casual Nonpoint listener before seeing them absolutely punish the stage of Canton Hall, but I have a new found appreciation for them. As a photographer, I love the super energetic set they put on for Dallas. I didn’t see a single dissatisfied face in the house as they fluidly worked interaction with the fans and each other as the set took us into the home stretch. I will be making more attempts to see Nonpoint live every chance I get.
– Brently Kirksey (words & photos)
– click to enlarge photos –
Nonpoint & Butcher Babies Tour Dates
April 26 – Houston, Texas @ Scout Bar
April 29 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Masquerade
May 2 – Monroe, La. @ Live Oaks Music Hall
May 3 – Panama City, Fla. @ Club LA
May 7 – Reading, Pa. @ Reverb
May 8 – Hampton Beach, N.H. @ Wally’s
May 9 – Westbury, N.Y. @ The Space
May 11 – Racine, Wis. @ Route 20 Outhouse
May 14 – Joliet, Ill. @ The Forge
May 15 – Fort Wayne, Ind. @ Piere’s
May 16 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Agora Ballroom
May 17 – Traverse City, Mich. @ Ground Zero
May 18 – Flint, Mich. @ Machine Shop
May 20 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom
May 22 – Rochester, N.Y. @ Montage Music Hall
May 23 – Toledo, Ohio @ Civic Music Hall
May 24 – Knoxville, Tenn. @ The International *
May 25 – Memphis, Tenn. @ New Daisy **
May 28 – New Orleans, La. @ Southport Hall
May 29 – Austin, Texas @ Come and Take It Live
May 30 – Corpus Christi, Texas @ House of Rock
May 31 – Lubbock, Texas @ Jake’s Ballroom
June 4 – Colorado Springs, Colo. @ Sunshine Studios Live
June 5 – Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theatre
June 6 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
June 7 – Billings, Mont. @ Pub Station
June 8 – Jerome, Idaho @ Diamondz Event Center