fortyminusone

ROCK FOR A CAUSE
by Jenn Smith

Music filled the air, money filled the buckets, and kindness filled the hearts of everyone who came to the Broadway Christian Church in Mattoon on Sunday, October 2. Seven bands from all around Illinois pulled together for a full day of music to support the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The show, put on by Robyn Drozd and Lacey Ard from Hit-Mix 88.9 WEIU, included the bands: Whosoever Will, Lakeview Drive, Solafide, Forgetting Paris, Bastian, Fortyminusone, and Skuf. Shotgun Wedding was supposed to perform but was unable to because of circumstances beyond their control. Even though they could not play, some of the band members still came to show their support. The show must go on right? It sure did.

Whosoever Will took the stage first. These guys hail from Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Unfortunately, I was unable to see them play, because I was watching their merchandise table so their manager could see the show. No biggie though. I heard them from the lobby and they sounded great. I had never seen (well, heard) them play before. Their sound is a mix of rock and metal, with influences such as System of the Down and The Doors. They had great energy and really got everyone pumped up for the lineup of bands that followed.

Lakeview Drive came next. I had the chance to see these guys at the Broadway Christian Church a few months ago. They are a 4-piece pop-punk band from Effingham, Illinois. I was only able to hear a little bit of their set because I was running around helping Robyn and Lacey out, but what I heard was awesome. From the reactions I heard from the crowd, I think the audience really enjoyed them as well.

Solafide followed Lakeview Drive. They are a rock group from Pickneyville, Illinois, with influences such as Switchfoot, U2, and Copeland. I have seen them perform more times than I can remember, and they put on an incredible show every time. I was actually introduced to their music by Robyn, after helping her interview the band last year for her radio show. Solafide has amazing energy and the guys do all that they can to get their fans to clap, dance, and sing along with their music. It did not take much effort this time, since audience members were already on their feet and ready to go when Solafide began to play. These guys are truly dedicated to their music. Ian, the bass player, held nothing back and gave his all during their performance despite a terrible cold. That’s passion right there folks.

I was lucky to see two of my favorite bands perform back to back. After Solafide came Forgetting Paris, a group from Mattoon and West Frankfort, Illinois. Their sound is considered a mix of indie, rock, and screamo. Really though, they are just plain awesome. They started their set with “Get Ready To Live,” a fan favorite. It was a good choice too, because the crowd loved it. At one point during the set, I was standing near the back of the room watching everyone enjoy the music. The crowd near the stage was rocking out as usual, but I also noticed people dancing and singing in the aisles. That was cool.

Forgetting Paris was a hard act to follow, but Bastian accepted the challenge. Bastian hails from Shelbyville, Illinois. They consider their sound a mix of alternative, indie, and rock. I have seen Bastian a few different times at the Broadway Christian Church and also Wake the Dead in Decatur. I like this band because they are very upbeat. They are great. Though Bastian has a much lighter sound, they were the perfect band to follow Forgetting Paris. It was cool to hear the diversity of each band as they performed. Each one brought something different to the stage, which made for a great show.

I was so thrilled with each band as they performed because they all had this insane level of energy that just spilled out into the crowd. However, I have to give the enthusiasm award to the next band that took the stage, and that was Fortyminusone, a rock and alternative band from Charleston, Illinois. This was the second time I had seen Fortyminusone, and I was really excited to see them again. I saw them this summer at Club 1AD Fest in Pittsburgh, Illinois. They did a pretty short set then, so I was eager to see them do a much longer set this time. Craig, a guitarist, was constantly getting the crowd pumped up by asking them to clap and dance, and his energy was absolutely contagious. It was impossible to watch these guys (and girl) perform without totally getting into the music. A highlight of their set was when Aaron, another guitarist, made a stage dive into the audience. I think he even surprised some of his band mates! If you have not gotten the chance to see Fortyminusone, you are really missing out. They definitely guarantee a lively show.

Also, a big thanks to Jeremy from Forgetting Paris for stepping up to help out another band. The drummer for Fortyminusone was unable to make it to the fundraiser, so Jeremy filled in and did an amazing job! With - Easter Illinois University SPIN