OF MICE & MEN Heats Up Tennessee With DEAD AMERICAN, SHVPES, & VAGRANTS [Review & Photo Gallery]

Of Mice & Men

First off, let me apologize to the members of SHVPES and Vagrants. I missed their sets completely. Work (day job) gets in the way sometimes! What I heard from people that saw both bands were that they both had killer sets. I’m sorry I messed them! I still had Dead American and Of Mice & Men, so the night was far from a loss!

Dead American

Dead American took the stage on this hot muggy night in east Tennessee. If you’ve never been to Capone’s it is a great place to see a show, but it can get hot in there – especially if there is a big crowd, and tonight was a big crowd! So sometime during the set (I don’t recall during which song), the staff of Capone’s brought some water out for the fans down front near the rail. When Cove Reber (vocals) saw what was happening, he reached over, took the water one at a time from the tray, and handed them out to the crowd, all while singing – very cool thing to witness. Dead American ripped through their set list with songs like “Ants and Pawns,” “Grown So Cold,” and “Out for Blood,” which are all tracks from their debut EP ‘The Shape of Punk Is Dumb.’ Go get a copy for yourself!

Of Mice & Men

If you thought it had been hot in Capone’s up to this point, it was about to get hotter! Of Mice & Men were about to make things considerably warmer! Starting the night off with “Warzone,” “Defy” (the title track from their latest album ‘Defy’), and “Would You Still Be There” the temperature level just kept increasing both musically and physically. Afterwards, I left the photo pit and made my way toward the back of the crowd to a section in Capone’s between the music venue and the bar to watch the rest of the show. What I saw in addition to a kick ass band on stage was a stream of sweaty, excited, happy fans (male and female) leaving the pit to cool off and get a drink at the bar, then right back into the pit they’d go! Of Mice & Men kept bringing the heat with “On the Inside” and a brand new, very heavy song, “Mushroom Cloud” that OM&M premiered live here at Capone’s! “Mushroom Cloud” along with “How to Survive” (also on tonight’s set list that debuted earlier this year) are not attached to album, yet. Closing out tonight’s killer set was “You Make Me Sick” from 2014’s ‘Restoring Force’ and “The Depths” from 2011’s ‘The Flood.’ Judging from the crowd reaction I saw. Of Mice & Men left no one disappointed!

Of Mice & Men

If you haven’t caught a show at Capone’s in Johnson City, TN do yourself a favor and catch one. It’s a great experience and a super cool venue, in my opinion. Don’t take my word for it, get out and see for yourself!

As I say at the close of most of my reviews: get off the couch, out from behind that computer, put down the phone, and go see a show! Support your local bands and venues. Without that support live music will be a thing of the past. Without support at the local level the bands on tonight’s bill wouldn’t be here in East Tennessee. Support live music!