{"id":720,"date":"2012-10-21T20:00:41","date_gmt":"2012-10-21T20:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=720"},"modified":"2015-10-13T16:05:20","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:05:20","slug":"unwritten-law-warehouse-live-studio-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/10\/21\/unwritten-law-warehouse-live-studio-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Unwritten Law – Warehouse Live Studio – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Robert Johnson <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 21, 2012 at 10:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"Unwritten Law has gone through numerous lineup changes over the years.\u00a0 After the departures of Rob Brewer (guitar), Steve Morris (guitar), and Wade Youman (drums) from 2005 to 2011, Scott Russo (vocals \/ guitar) eventually found himself as the only remaining original member.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a mass exodus.\u00a0 Youman was the first to go, followed by Brewer, and finally Morris.\u00a0 While a sudden and complete change could have been devastating to the future of Unwritten Law, the gradual metamorphosis likely helped Russo soften the blow as he continued the project.<\/p>\n

By 2012, Unwritten Law was a brand new band.\u00a0 Featuring Kevin Besignano (guitar), Derik Envy (bass), and Dylan Howard (drums), Scott Russo\u2019s new Unwritten Law was aesthetically different, but fundamentally the same.\u00a0 First, Russo\u2019s role as frontman for the group has always been the lynchpin to the success of the Unwritten Law name.\u00a0 His continuation with the band maintains the distinctive voice and attitude that has defined Unwritten Law since the band\u2019s inception.\u00a0 In addition, Besignano, Envy, and Howard all have the talent and attitude to assume a role in the new Unwritten Law, and the performance ability to make it all work.<\/p>\n

For all the changes, one thing remains the same – Unwritten Law puts on one hell of a live event.\u00a0 On October 21st, I had the opportunity to catch the latest incarnation of Unwritten Law at Warehouse Live in Houston, TX.\u00a0 Playing a cornucopia of songs spanning the band\u2019s extensive catalog of albums, Unwritten Law treated the intimate Houston crowd to a night of punk-rock, performing with a fire now lacking by many of the band\u2019s contemporaries.<\/p>\n

When many bands perform live, they save the most popular songs for the latter part of the set.\u00a0 Not Unwritten Law.\u00a0 The band opened with one of its most popular tracks, \u201cTeenage Suicide.\u201d\u00a0 Russo dawned the guitar, commanding the stage as he played the powerful, distinctive opening notes of the song.\u00a0 By the opening verse, he took to the mic, using his hands in vintage Russo-fashion to conduct the crowd through the lyrics of the song.\u00a0 The songs that followed were no different.\u00a0 Like a supersonic aircraft, Russo and company lifted the crowd to a fervor, performing favorites like \u201cLonesome\u201d and \u201cUp All Night\u201d with vigor and moxie, emoting every note and lyric.\u00a0 Six songs in, the crowd was treated to its first glimpse of Russo\u2019s softer side through his performance of \u201cSeein\u2019 Red.\u201d\u00a0 Arguably the band\u2019s biggest single, \u201cSeein\u2019 Red\u201d lends itself well to the live event.\u00a0 With its soft verses and powerful chorus, \u201cSeein\u2019 Red\u201d was a clear demonstration of the new band\u2019s cohesion and dexterity.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Toward the end of the night, Russo strapped on his acoustic guitar for a breathtaking display of pure talent.\u00a0 During performances of \u201cShe Says\u201d and \u201cSave Me,\u201d it was clear that Russo\u2019s musical strength simply can\u2019t be captured by a studio album.\u00a0 His voice is a unique blend of soul and gravel, with stunning range and pitch.\u00a0 In these \u201cstripped\u201d performances, Russo\u2019s heart was on display.\u00a0 A bit self-deprecating, if not self-aware, Russow talked about screwing up a lot in his life.\u00a0 As a result, the performances of \u201cShe Says\u201d and \u201cSave Me\u201d felt far more personal, as they manifested the true, unadulterated feelings in this man\u2019s soul.\u00a0 Every word he sang felt spectacular, fashioning the unparalleled nature of his voice.\u00a0 For every talent show flooding the airwaves, none have produced a voice quite like that of Russo.<\/p>\n

Ready to call it a night, the crowd was chanting \u201cC-P-K… C-P-K.\u201d\u00a0 From the 1994 album Blue Room, \u201cCPK\u201d has long been a favorite of those who grew up in mid-90\u2019s surf-skate scene.\u00a0 It was obvious, however, that the band had little interest in playing the song.\u00a0 In fact, Russo even questioned, \u201cYou really want to hear that song?\u201d\u00a0 As if to suggest that the song simply didn\u2019t stand the test of time, the crowd seemingly surprised Russo with a collective \u201cyes!\u201d\u00a0 After a brief moment of hesitation, Unwritten Law ultimately decided to play the popular crowd request, leaving those in attendance absolutely delighted by the night\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a fan of punk-rock, or simply like a great live event, Unwritten Law is a \u201cmust see.\u201d\u00a0 If for no other reason than to have the opportunity to witness the talent of Scott Russo, be sure catch Unwritten Law next time they come through your town.<\/p>\n

Setlist<\/p>\n

Teenage Suicide
\nRescue Me
\nLonesome
\nUp All Night
\nStarships and Apocalypse
\nSeein\u2019 Red
\nMean Girl
\nNevermind
\nSuperbad
\nShoulda Known Better
\nCelebration Song
\nCailin
\nUnderground
\nShe Says
\nSave Me
\nCPK
\nContact Robert at <\/u>robert@starsandsatellites.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Robert Johnson Oct 21, 2012 at 10:00 PM Unwritten Law has gone through numerous lineup changes over the years.\u00a0 After the departures of Rob Brewer (guitar), Steve Morris (guitar), and Wade Youman (drums) from 2005 to 2011, Scott Russo (vocals \/ guitar) eventually found himself as the only remaining original member.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t… <\/p>\n

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