As the time hit 6:30pm, fans of emo music made their way to Ruins in Deep Ellum to attend this long awaited and hyped-up show. After missing the last few local shows, I was excited to finally catch a couple of the bands in this lineup.
First up to the stage was the Denton band, select a bonus. With just releasing their first EP in October of last year, select a bonus has already built a passionate following. Their on-stage chemistry and experienced sound could easily land them gigs among the likes of Movements, Microwave, and Free Throw. This is a band that is going to blow up and be successful if they keep growing at the rate that they are now. They are all the best parts of emo, indie, and pop-punk music combined. After a short, yet passionate set, frontman Austin gave a heartfelt plea to raise awareness for a great cause. He mentioned that all t-shirt sales would be going to the charity Raices to help provide legal services to the many families dealing with ICE. He brought awareness to the fact that everyone in the room could make a difference and take a stand for what’s right. Being the only band that got a mosh pit going in the crowd, select a bonus definitely had a killer night. The future is bright for this band. Be sure to keep them on your radar and stay tuned for new music dropping in the Fall of this year.
Next to the stage was the young emo band, Pipe Dream. This show was their first out of their hometown of Houston. For all of the members being in their mid-teens, they already had a mature sound that was reminiscent of Pity Sex or old school Tigers Jaw. They had an equal balance of emo vocals from male vocalist, James, and exquisite indie/dreamgaze sounding vocals from female vocalist, Brooke. They are joined by drummer Dominick. This band could easily rise up in the indie/dreamgaze genre. They just released a new EP last month, Selective Hearing. Be sure to give it a listen and keep supporting young local artists.
Following up the youngsters was a bit more established Denton band, Sad Cops. Clearly displaying their experience, the boys of Sad Cops were full of energy and shredded hard, only being held back by the limited space on the tiny Ruins stage. I believe that Modern Baseball died so that Sad Cops could live. This band is going to be massively successful if they keep doing what they are doing. They blend exciting and beautiful guitar tones with keyboards and polished vocals to create a very unique sound that could compete with those of American Football and Modern Baseball. They are set to release new music next year, and even gave us a taste of their new “cowboy” song that was a bit more twangy than the rest of their music. Oddly enough, it still felt like it fit very well in their style and it seemed like the crowd really enjoyed it.
Starting their set around 8:30pm, the headlining and touring band, Bay Faction took the stage. They were warmly welcomed by the sardine-packed room as cheers rang out from the crowd. Although they hail from New York, they seemed right at home in Texas at this intimate gig. They had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand as they screamed every single word of their songs. Their energy and chemistry is so genuine and fun to watch. You can tell these guys love playing music and love interacting with their fans. There’s not really a bad thing you could say about these guys, they make good indie rock music and they make it even more enjoyable when you see them play it live. Bay Faction is a must-see band to play live. They were the perfect ending to this talent-packed night.
– Lauren Frederick
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