Review
Every Avenue at Bamboozle 2009
- Author:
- Review Date:
- 4/08/09
With six different stages stretched across the Irvine Amphitheatre’s festival grounds, Bamboozle Left succeeded in being difficult to navigate. But after searching for about 20 minutes, I was able to find the Kazoozle Stage (tucked into a tiny corner behind a large tent), where the Marysville, Michigan band, Every Avenue, was due to start. Most of the fans in the small, impatient crowd were younger than me, ranging from age 13 to late teens. I felt a little out of place, but I managed to wedge myself between the sound booth and a very exuberant young girl dressed in a blue tutu, jeans and a tank top. In fact, most of the crowd was adorned in colorful clothing and jewelry. I definitely felt out of place in my tan coat and army hat. Nonetheless, I was excited to see the band too after listening to some of their music.
When the band finally set up, lead singer, David Strauchman, gave a big toothy grin to the crowd and shouted “You awake Bamboozle?” The crowd screamed in response and Every Avenue wasted no time diving into their half-hour set. The first song of the set was “Chasing the Night”, Every Avenue’s best song in my opinion. The song set the happy carefree mood for the rest of their time on stage. David Strauchman is an exceptional live singer and crowd-pleaser. He makes everything about the performance extremely personal because he never stops staring into the crowd and flashing that big grin. The crowd seemed hesitant to move around, but he never stopped encouraging them to “move your ass”. One thing I will always admire in any performer is persistence and never-ending energy. Strauchman has it.
After a few songs that seemed a bit like filler, they began “Freak Out!” another song I enjoyed. Josh Randall, lead guitarist of the band really caught my eye during this song. Randall is most entertaining member of the band to watch as he jerks his guitar with the beat. At one point he stood on the amp and leaned over the crowd grinning as he played his solo. Bassist Matt Black was also a joy to watch as he jumps off of amps. It is as if he’s in his own little world, which is great to see in a musician.Towards the end of the set the crowd became tired and many people sort of gave up moving. Once again, Strauchman challenged them to keep pumping their fists and dancing. After their last song, Strauchman thanked the fans and they walked off.
Keep in mind, this was an outdoor festival and at any outdoor festival, sound isn’t going to be as pristine as an inside venue. Every Avenue’s sound seemed to sort of float off in different directions, but the fault wasn’t theirs, as the stage itself was squished into a little enclave. My only negative comments about Every Avenue’s set are their entertainment value. I felt like my mind was wandering at times, even though three of the band members were fun to watch. The band itself just didn’t feel completely unified on stage, like they weren’t quite listening to each other. Something like unity comes with long practices, more time with one another and an innate sixth-sense about those around you. Once Every Avenue masters this, watching them will prove to be even more fun. I might even dance. Trust me, that’s saying a lot.
When the band finally set up, lead singer, David Strauchman, gave a big toothy grin to the crowd and shouted “You awake Bamboozle?” The crowd screamed in response and Every Avenue wasted no time diving into their half-hour set. The first song of the set was “Chasing the Night”, Every Avenue’s best song in my opinion. The song set the happy carefree mood for the rest of their time on stage. David Strauchman is an exceptional live singer and crowd-pleaser. He makes everything about the performance extremely personal because he never stops staring into the crowd and flashing that big grin. The crowd seemed hesitant to move around, but he never stopped encouraging them to “move your ass”. One thing I will always admire in any performer is persistence and never-ending energy. Strauchman has it.
After a few songs that seemed a bit like filler, they began “Freak Out!” another song I enjoyed. Josh Randall, lead guitarist of the band really caught my eye during this song. Randall is most entertaining member of the band to watch as he jerks his guitar with the beat. At one point he stood on the amp and leaned over the crowd grinning as he played his solo. Bassist Matt Black was also a joy to watch as he jumps off of amps. It is as if he’s in his own little world, which is great to see in a musician.Towards the end of the set the crowd became tired and many people sort of gave up moving. Once again, Strauchman challenged them to keep pumping their fists and dancing. After their last song, Strauchman thanked the fans and they walked off.
Keep in mind, this was an outdoor festival and at any outdoor festival, sound isn’t going to be as pristine as an inside venue. Every Avenue’s sound seemed to sort of float off in different directions, but the fault wasn’t theirs, as the stage itself was squished into a little enclave. My only negative comments about Every Avenue’s set are their entertainment value. I felt like my mind was wandering at times, even though three of the band members were fun to watch. The band itself just didn’t feel completely unified on stage, like they weren’t quite listening to each other. Something like unity comes with long practices, more time with one another and an innate sixth-sense about those around you. Once Every Avenue masters this, watching them will prove to be even more fun. I might even dance. Trust me, that’s saying a lot.