Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Sparks the Rescue, Namesake, Self Proclaimed, Mercedes Ave
The Boardwalk, Orangevale – Saturday, May 19, 2012
Words by Ashley Hassinger Photos by Mike Ibe
From pop-punk to alternative, many types of rock filled the Boardwalk in Orangevale on Saturday.
With four bands lined up to open for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the audience got a taste of both local and touring bands from across the States.
First up was local Sacramento band, Mercedes Ave. Recently formed, the band’s vocals were a bit shaky throughout the performance. The vocals of Kris Loewen and backup vocalist and bassist Nick Lunetta, didn’t quite complement each other; while the melodies from the lead guitarist Nathan Furey and the drumming of Jon Medley were decent.
It is evident that the band as a whole had a great love for music, but perhaps with more time with each other, they’ll perfect their sound and blend their vocals and their melodies more seamlessly. As they write in their biography on Facebook, “We aren’t perfect. We still have a long ways to go as a band, as musicians and even as friends.” With their own self-criticism, it won’t be long before their sound is more polished.
Self Proclaimed, a four piece band also from Sacramento comprised of vocalist Ethan Blankensop, lead guitarist Matt Miramontes, bass guitarist Blake Harris and drummer Jeffery Willams, gave the audience a good show.
Mercedes Ave.
Full of energy and projecting a good stage presence, Self Proclaimed had the crowd engaged and played high-energy songs. With fast tempo songs in their set like “Half Past Sunday,” full of catchy hooks, they made it easy for new listeners to jump on board with their sound.
Blankensop had a raspy voice, which set the band apart from the previous local talent. They had fun at the end of their set covering Blink-182’s “All The Small Things,” which pumped up the entire crowd.
Self-Proclaimed
Up next was the first touring band, Namsake from Atlanta, Ga. Signed to Imagen Records, Namesake was a refined pop-rock band. From the vocals of Will Crafton to harmonies from guitarists Brad Wagner and Troy Harmon, bassist Seth Van Dusen and drummer Kevin Nordeste, it was evident that these guys have been performing for a while.
Their melodies had the entire crowd clapping and bobbing their heads. Conversing with the audience, Crafton spoke to them saying, “I don’t say this very often, but this may be the best crowd of the tour.”
The crowd really took to their sound and their chemistry as a band. Namesake ended with their song “Movement,” a tune about getting through a hard time.
Sparks The Rescue
Sparks the Rescue, from Maine, followed Namesake and kept the energy level high. Around for the past three years, Sparks the Rescue showed that with time, harmony and lyrics are perfected and the interaction amongst the band members was solid.
The band changed it up by covering country group Lady Antebellum’s song, “Need You Now.” It was a great cover that gave the song a rock makeover.
Sparks the Rescue was a great band to open up for Florida-based rock band The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Around since 2004, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has used its time together wisely, perfecting their lyrics and refining their rock sound. With the recent release of the newest album Am I the Enemy, the band played a mix of both old and new material.
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Opening up with the song “False Pretense,” Red Jumpsuit started the crowd off with vigor, and did an amazing job keeping the crowd engaged and up dancing on their feet.
Lead vocalist Ronnie Winter slowed down the tempo twice, playing songs “Cat and Mouse” and “Your Guardian Angel” off Red Jumpsuit’s album Don’t You Fake It, acoustically.
With one song left in the set, the audience starting shouting “‘Face Down,’ ‘Face Down,’ ‘Face Down.’” Red Jumpsuit obliged by closing out its set with that song.
All the bands had a great show, and although some could use improvement in lyrics or chemistry on stage, all had their hearts out on the stage, showing their love for live music.
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