Images: Such Gold, Alaska, Characters, Amoride, A Burden on Society October 30, 2013 at Eagle Aerie Hall

The Halloween spirit was in full effect at The Eagle Hall on Oct. 30, as evidenced by free candy at the door, the fact that these photos were taken by a girl in a banana suit (Thanks, Hunter!), and by all three bands I saw being scary good.

Unfortunately, a crazy amount of traffic kept me from watching Amoride and A Burden on Society but I heard they got the crowd going pretty good. Characters (formerly Next Generation Rising) have built a solid following with their throwback style and guitar licks worth looking up tabs for. I think the name change has lit a new fire under them and I’m looking forward to what they have in store for the coming months. Not to be outdone, it seems like Alaska plays a show eight days a week for a few dollars and some high fives. They put together a great, heavy set and they’re always a good time – so if you haven’t seen them, check them out at a living room or shack or swimming pool near you.

New York’s Such Gold was the big draw for the night, even though the volume of the crowd left a lot to be desired. With it being the night before Halloween and a good reason for pop punk kids to dress up, I thought there’d be more people there – but that was probably a little bit of wishful thinking. Or maybe I just wanted more friends to sing “Gut Rot” with me. Either way, nothing could’ve kept Such Gold from putting on a great set featuring classics like “Four Super Bowls” and “Two Year Plan” while also treating everyone to a new song, “Choosing Cages,” which sounds promising to say the least. All in all it was a festive night full of good riffs, sing-a-longs, and posi jumps.

-Felipe Garcia

Photos by Hunter Wallace | https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter_wallace/