Music Under Fire

The quaint stage nestled in The Khyber of Downtown Philadelphia was recently visited by Lights Resolve and Elevation as part of the Riffs & Snow Drifts Tour. A surprisingly boisterous crowd for a Tuesday night waited in anticipation for the strong sounds and vocals both of these bands produce.

Elevation

My growing interest in Elevation had me excited to see their live performance. When listening to their album you immediately hear the flexibility of lead vocalists Nathan Smith's range. The live performance was no different.

Smith's voice seamlessly adjusts to Elevations songs which jump genres ranging from indie ballads ("Can't Shake it Off") to heavy southern rock anthems ("Razoreyes"). Of course a lead singer would be nothing without his band and the four behind Smith- Andrew Averso, Stephen Bailey, Luke Hickok and Matt Perez- produced a clean yet punchy sound to accompany their front-man.

The Atlanta band did not limit their short set of five songs to samplings of their debut album Strangelove. The final song of their set was a cover of Springsteen's "Born to Run". Smith's sometimes gravelly voice lent itself well to the song, but I would recommended leaving Springsteen to Springsteen.


Lights Resolve

Being touted as a band with a killer live show, the spatially challenged stage of the Khyber proved no match for the powerful performance of Lights Resolve. Heavy bass lines and clamorous percussion filled the room behind Matt Reich's invigorating vocals.

As I watched the trio from New York perform I kept thinking of the phrase "organized chaos". It was evident that their musical efforts were collaborative, with each of the three artists contributing their own touch to their songs.

As Reich asked the crowd to take ten steps closer to the stage the mood in the room changed to that of a Friday night rather than a Tuesday. With Luke Daniels' active bass riffs, Neal Saini's energy on drums and the shear enjoyment you could tell they get from performing, Lights Resolve ensures that they will achieve their goal of pleasing their fans.

Having been on tour with The Used and Straylight Run in past years, it was clear that Lights Resolve have polished a crowd pleasing live offering. If they can capture their live sound on an upcoming album the future of Lights Resolve will be one of longevity.

With only three dates left on this East Coast tour, you may have missed your chance to see these bands together, but be sure to keep an eye out for what the upcoming year will hold for Elevation and Lights Resolve.