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Papa Roach/Trapt/Parmalee
| July 4th, 2008 @ House of Blues |
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by Courtney Campbell
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With the 40+ dates of Crue Fest having just kicked off, Papa Roach & Trapt filled in their off day on the 4th of July with a show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sponsored by a local radio station and billed as the after fireworks party, the sold-out show was definitely the place to be on the 4th. Being that both bands play fairly early on Crue Fest, this was a chance for their fans to catch longer sets by their favorite bands and also be in a venue that no matter where you stood/sat, you had a great view. (kudos to the venue, great sightlines and sound)
The night kicked off with semi-locals, Parmalee. This unsigned band had many fans in the house and did what an opener should do, warm up the crowd. Their sound wasn't as heavy sounding as Papa Roach, more towards the alternative rock of the late 90s.They came out on stage playing "The Star Spangled Banner" which due to it being the 4th of July, it was very approprite and kicked off a set that included songs from their new ep Complicated. With catchy lyrics and a sound that you couldn't just stand still to, this band is one that you definitely need to check out.
Up next was Trapt. As a music fan, I have a love/hate relationship with their music and seeing them live. It's hard for me to watch them as the expressions and stances of the singer, Chris Brown don't match what he is singing. It's hard to explain this. He always looks like a tortured soul on stage. Most remember this band by their single "Headstrong" off their first album. While their music has been solid since then, they really haven't had a single as big since. Hopefully with this new album Only Through the Pain coming out August 5th, we will hear something that will lift this band back up. After hearing their new songs "Who's Going Home with you Tonight" and "Curiosity Kills", I'm not sure. While both could easily be solid singles, they don't have the impact that "Headstrong" did. That being said, music likes and dislikes have changed a lot over the years since "Headstrong" was released and there is an entirely new fanbase to latch on to, maybe this direction that Trapt has taken will grab these new fans.
Finally what we drove this long distance for, Papa Roach. They kicked off their set with a new song which didn't deter this packed crowd. The song had a heavy sound to it and went over well. From there Papa Roach launched into a set that included the singles that everyone knows as well as what frontman Jacoby Shaddix calls "old school Papa Roach" and two more new songs. The packed crowd was one that wasn't constantly moving as I have seen at most Papa Roach shows but they were very active. Shaddix himself added to the crowd in front of him by launching himself off the stage to join them twice. The second time he did a front flip. The set ended as it usually does with "Last Resort" and left us all wanting more. Now to discuss the new songs. In the middle of the set was "I Almost Told You I Loved You". The song has great verses and lyrically I loved it but... the chorus melody was the same as their song "Getting Away with Murder". A bit of a disappointment as I was looking to see this band whom I love do something different. I also felt the chorus took away from the strength of the verses. Their other new song "Live This Down" was part of the encore. Again this song sounded like other Papa Roach songs. Not just in sound but like same music with different lyrics again.
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