10 Nov 10

...our job is getting you excited for GRO... ~ Miggs


Hey, blogspot readers, SouthSide invaded SPACE ...again! This reviewer's back for another rockin' adventure at this popular suburban venue to see Miggs and Green River Ordinance (TX) on stage.

SouthSide wholeheartedly regrets missing a huge chunk of Miggs' Park West performance in Sept. Like that one, this rockin' band from FL swept away the audience with its vocal harmonies and energetic pop/alternative music. After opening the set in a calming lull which immediately bursted into ear-popping music of fiery momentum, Miggs performed a playlist featuring Sincerity (almost tribal-like with the steady drum rhythm while taking the momentum and tempo down a notch) and Incredibly Close (a switch in tempo with a lively rhythm that had everyone feeling the vibe). During this song as well as others, Don, (frontman on vocals and guitar) needed a wireless mic attached to him so he could be heard in the back where SouthSide was standing. Yet, she enjoyed hearing personal favorites such as Nothing (full of catchy guitar hooks with a bit of Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want towards the end but the acappella close was an audience pleaser), Superhero (song has Miggs stepping out of their "comfort zone" with hardcore rock chords though keeping the tempo in a pop groove) and Fire (a somewhat sad ballad yet strangely it has a lively rhtyhm to keep the song from getting over depressing within its pop/alternative sound). For this reviewer, she feels the highlight of the night was when Miggs performed an acoustic version of Summer Takes The Fall. The trio sharing one microphone demonstrated how powerful as well as emotional their voices can be sans the amplified sound backing them. With only an acoustic in hand, they breathed more sentimental and soulful feelings into the lyrics of this particular song. SouthSide wouldn't mind reviewing a Miggs acoustic performance now that she has fully heard them amplified. Rounding out their show with Let The Games Begin and Girls & Boys (hit single off current album - Wide Awake), the audience was thoroughly warmed up and ready for Green River Ordinance's headlining show. SouthSide highly recommends checking out this rockin' alternative band while they're currently on tour. Visit http://www.miggsmusic.com or http://www.myspace.com/miggs for details when and where they'll be next.

Recently reviewed this band's current EP, The Morning Passengers, SouthSide was excited to see Green River Ordinance's live stage performance. The audience instantly felt the vibe and burst of momentum fromt he band upon hearing the intro to their opening song. There's plenty of fire and passion in GRO's pop/alternative rock sound off 3 to 4 guitars on stage as well as deep, soulful falsettos heard from Josh's (frontman on vocals, guitar and piano) voice. He truly poured out a lot of himself emotionally in his vocal performance while on lyrics in which his energy not got the rest of the band feeling the vibe but the audience too. GRO wasted no time hitting the ground rockin' their headlining set with Goodbye, LA (a lively alternative song with toe-tappin' guitar hooks), Come On (a powerful acappella beginning before GRO's burst of music and improvisation on lyrics using the topic of the night "ice cream man" towards the end), and Dancing Shoes (track 1 off current EP in which SouthSide equally enjoyed both acoustic and live version of this ballad). Though taking the momentum down for two ballads (one being Uncertainly Certain, track 2 off The Morning Passengers EP), this reviewer thoroughly enjoyed hearing a bit of the acoustic side to GRO. However there were moments in which too much reverb (off the bass monitor) was painful to the ears. Yet, the acoustic tone of this band spotlighted how versatile the vocal range Josh's voice can get while performing a serenade or ballad. For example, Learning (a song about making mistakes when hurting the ones we love and learning from them), his voice was quite passionate and full of emotion during the acoustic beginning before adding the rest of the band. This reviewer, in her opinion, would have preferred an acoustic version since it drew out the sentiment felt and heard inside the lyrics. This was also the moment when the bass reverb was too overpowering for her to hear which overshadowed the vocals and song. Another highlight of the night was when GRO covered a rockin' version of Fleetwood Mac's 70s hit Go Your Own Way (adding more energy intot he tempo and rhythm making it seem less of a breakup song and more a pop/rock alternative groove) and The Band's The Weight (which featured Miggs on vocals and a bit of the gospel song This Little Light Of Mine as the audience waved their mobile phones in the air). Besides their The Morning Passengers EP, GRO also released an EP of their favorite cover songs (before they were born). SouthSide highly recommends checking out their inspirational song, Rise Up, as well as suggests checking them out live while currently on tour. Visit http://www.greenriverordinance.com or http://www.myspace.com/gro for more details in when and where they're rockin' next with Miggs.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide