Venue changes, however common, are generally annoying. You purchase tickets and plan your night. Then out of the blue, you're being directed to a completely new place or completely different city. When Senses Fail changed their venue from The Beaumont in Kansas City to the Granada Theater in Lawrence, I was a little annoyed. When we arrived however, I realized the move was a good idea.

The Beaumont, although a great venue, doesn't accommodate concert crowds very well. The big reason behind that is probably because every other day of the week, it's a dance club. Now the Granada is perfect. With its various levels, designated mosh pit and great sound system this truly was the better venue for Senses Fail. Though the crowd may have seemed smaller, the energy was not diminished.

Still reeling off of their 2006 release of Still Searching, the band has yet to lose momentum. Their clever mix of hardcore, screamo, punk and little bit of emo makes for a great show. Set to the backdrop of what looked like a scene from a nuclear explosion, Buddy (vocals) had a definite mad-scientist way about him. Naturally playing more of the newer songs, but like any good band, they made sure to include a few selections for their long-time fans. Personal favorites: "The Priest And The Matador", "Calling All Cars" and of course "Buried A Lie." To combine as many genres as these guys do, you have to be a special kind of musician. With a deep bass coming through for the hardcore, an insanely quick, sometimes up beat guitar for the punk. Finally, with the screamo/emo all meshed together with the powerful lyrics belted from the bottom of Buddy's gut [and heart]. And the mad scientist in him, kept him from never standing still.

It was easy to see why this band made it to the top 20 on Billboard. Not to mention why their deluxe release of Still Searching is doing almost as well as the original release. Next time these guys come to town, I hope they're automatically placed at The Granada. Because they deserve a mosh pit like that!

-Rachel Fredrickson

Senses Fail
w/ New Found Glory
November 8th, 2007
The Granada Theatre
Lawrence, KS

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