So I went to a Nonpoint show...

Yesterday evening I had the chance to go to a Nonpoint show at the Taste of Madison festival.  Admission was free, so I figured I'd go and give them a listen.

Nonpoint's sound can be safely lumped in with that of bands like Drowning Pool, Mudvayne, Sevendust, Taproot, Papa Roach and so on, you get the idea.  My tastes have changed a bit since I was into this sound, but it's still pretty metal, and that's ok with me. 


The first thing I noticed upon hearing the first few notes was the intensity of the crowd.  Nonpoint apparently has some real die-hard fans in Madison.  I'm not a big follower, and I've only really listened to their material that makes it on the radio, but I was impressed with the energy from the crowd and the band.

The singer, Elias Soriano, dominated the stage, flinging his dreadlocks around and rapid-firing lyrics while simultaneously trying to work the crowd into a frenzy.  I say "trying" here, because the crowd was one of the most unique I've seen at a rock show: senior citizens, small children, chicks, dudes, and everything in between (read into that what you will) were in attendance, forcing the band and the promoters to institute a strict "no moshing" policy.  Soriano challenged the audience to jump up and down during a song "WITHOUT A SINGLE. PIT. FORMING."  That kind of sucked the life out of the show, but the kids up front were good about it, and did their jumping and whatnot without any pits to speak of.

The band took frequent breaks between songs so that Soriano could tell us about the meaning of the last song or just fling bullshit at us about how Madison, Wisconsin is like "a second home" to Nonpoint and how there was no place in the world they'd rather be playing at that moment.  Ha. Hahahaha.  I'm not huge on bands that spend a lot of time talking to the audience without really saying anything, and this really was a drag on the show for me.

They ended with their kinda-ok Phil Collins cover (In the Air Tonight) followed by current radio hit "Mircacle" and "Bullet With a Name," probably their most recognizable tune.

It was a far cry from the Iron Maiden and Rush shows I saw earlier this summer, but hey, it was free, outdoors, and the music was loud and heavy.  It's hard to go wrong with that.  Plus, I got to see this badass homemade wagon some guy had made for his kids to stand in: 

I'm starting a show called "Pimp My Wagon" and it will kick Exzibit's ass.

Look for my review of The Sword's new album "Warp Riders" in the coming days.