Images: The Story So Far, The American Scene, Heart to Heart, Guts, The Letter You March 3, 2013 at the Eagle Aerie Hall

On the outskirts of Vegas, where virtually every all-ages venue has been shut down, a gem of a lineup found its way onto a floor in a tiny hall planted between a mountain and a Girl Scout cabin. As odd as the settings were, kids showed up hours early and in droves to see wunderkinds The Story So Far and their supporting bands The American Scene, Heart to Heart, Guts and The Letter You.

The Letter You and Guts were the local package and made their town proud with solid sets filled with energy, poise, and catchy hooks. Especially considering the age of its members, The Letter You’s polished sound is consistently impressive. Guts is also hitting their stride and they have big plans for the months ahead (some of which you’ll be reading about on this site very soon). While the majority of the already-packed venue clearly wasn’t familiar with the locals, it was nice to see a number of familiar faces singing along in the crowd and new fans being won over by the catchy songwriting.

Heart to Heart was next to take the stage and as usual, they got the crowd going with their trademark vigor. When you listen to their album songs like “Thanks for Nothing” and “The Turn” really jump from the speakers so it’s no surprise how well they resonate live. Frontman Nick Zoppo is as hyphy as they come these days, pulling off moves that are part Michael Jackson, part WWE Superstar and never once slowing down. Despite a few technical difficulties, the band pulled off an eclectic set that really showcased everything they bring to the table.

The penultimate band of the night was The American Scene, and despite being the other part of the package tour with headliners The Story So Far, they were definitely the odd man out on this bill. While the rest of the bands trend towards a New Found Glory/Movielife style of pop punk and melodic hardcore, the Berkley CA quartet has a lot more in common with The Story So Far’s fellow NFG at the Hard Rock Café openers Seahaven. They have that same kind of slow build, tight songwriting and mixture of 90s emo and indie rock that have caused bands like Transit and the aforementioned Seahaven to grow in fanbase. The crowd seemed largely unfamiliar with them other than a few singers in the front, but with how great they sound live (especially vocalist Matt Vincent) I think they will be blowing up in no time.

That familiar buzz that fills an anxious room forced everyone toward the front so far that The Story So Far practically started their set backed up against the wall. And when they broke into “Roam” the room was suddenly 300 degrees and you had to protect your head from shoes and knees. This band has always gotten a great reaction from Vegas crowds, but this was the first time they’ve played a floor show in town and the crowd that had been waiting for hours exploded at the sound of the first note. New songs “The Glass” and “Right Here” from their upcoming sophomore release What You Don’t See were mixed in as they ran through all their crowd favorites from Under Dirt and Soil including “Swords and Pens,” “Daughters,” a memorable version of “Placeholder” and deeper cuts “Brevity” and “680 South” from the band’s split with Maker.

The crowd kept the same intensity all the way throughout the closing number, “Quicksand,” the song that brought about the biggest sing along and prompted throngs of kids to fall over vocalist Parker Cannon right into Ryan Torf’s drumkit. Despite all the insanity, the band never missed a beat and since the crowd insisted on hearing another new track, “Stifled” closed out the night. It was a perfect nightcap to what had been a ridiculously fun, surprisingly intimate punk rock show.

– Felipe Garcia and Emily Matview

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/