Concert Review: Shiny Toy Guns hit their mark
When I interviewed Shiny Toy Guns bassist Jeremy Dawson last year, he said in regards to new fans who are just discovering the band, "I would really like for them to take it all the way to the edge and look into the record and then listen to the performance. That way you get the whole Shiny Toy Guns, then they can determine from that point if you'd like to be a part of this". Those words ran through my mind as I watched the band perform in front of a crazed crowd as the headliner in a club they were the opening act of a 4 band bill at just a few months prior. True to his words, the band really does bring you an entirely different view in a live setting. On this night, the Guns became a harder edge rock band while not losing what makes them so easily identifiable and unique. Their songs were adjusted just enough to be different from the album, while being better suited for playing in front of an audience. This is a band with one album? They know their music and their responsibility to the crowd as if they were old pros.
Carah Faye and Chad Petree exchanged vocals throughout the night and just as on the album, they compliment each other perfectly. Instruments were even exchanged as Carah and our friend Jeremy traded off bass and keyboard duties as well. Once you add in the lights and the undeniable charisma and energy of each member of the band, you really don't want to turn away for the entire set.
You would think that a band who has rapidly shot up the charts (no pun intended) would have a crowd full of fans who only knew the hit singles, but this wasn't the case. I was really impressed with the crowd who sang along with every word to not only the singles like "Le Disko" and the crowd favorite "Don't Cry Out", not only the rest of the songs from 'We Are Pilots', but also an old unreleased demo called Rocketship that the band dusted off to great response. We are also living in a time where showing that you are into a concert is somehow not cool, but the crowd was dancing and screaming the entire time. So, to the fans of Shiny Toy Guns, thank you for being so awesome. I know that the band appreciates your support and love.
After the show, the band wasn't about to send their fans home without thanking them personally. My photographer Mike Schmitt and I were just hanging out, so we snapped some pics of the band talking with fans and signing autographs. A lot of bands talk about wanting to meet fans, but Shiny Toy Guns still make every possible effort to let their fans know how much they mean to them. Thanks for letting us be a part of this guys, and thanks to the fans who let us publish these pics.
