If it seems like I just went and saw these guys, well…I did. Back in September. But Highly Suspect came back around with their Ice Cold winter tour and you know I had to go!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly as excellent as the fall show was, and it was a combination of things that made it seem off. Firstly, the show was sold out and this crowd was goofy as hell. There were so many aggressive fans trying to shove people out of the way or squeeze them in all in an effort to just get an inch closer to the action. I’m too claustrophobic for that stuff, so my sister and I watched from our tippy toes in the back. We also bore witness to a straight-up fist fight. Geez. Aside from the crowd being less than, the vocals weren’t as pristine as I’ve heard in the past and it sounds like most of the band was recovering from food poisoning. Rough go, for sure.
Of course, there were things to enjoy about the show. For instance, opening band Dead Poet Society has earned some further checking out because they reminded me if Nothing But Thieves and Royal Blood had a baby. Very cool! A lot of the crowd was a big fan of them, too! I saw lots oft heir merch floating around. Highly Suspect, while not quite in top form still managed to put on a fun show. They played hits like “Lydia,” “Ice Cold,” “My Name Is Human,” and one of my sister’s personal favorites, “Bath Salts.” A lot of songs ended in extended jam sessions, and they concluded the evening with two of their hardest tracks, “Look Alive, Stay Alive” and “Pink Lullaby.”
I was sad to learn that a little after the show ended that the band made their way into the remaining crowd. It would have been really cool to meet Johnny Stevens in the flesh. Maybe someday. Until then, I guess I will just have to keep going to more shows! Not a bad trade-off, I think.