The night began with Catch 22, who looked a little bit different than they did the last time I had seen them. Vocalist, Jeff Davidson, had left the band and trumpet player, Kevin Gunther, and Saxophonist, Ryan Eldridge, had taken the vocalist responsibilities.

Surprisingly enough, this made their set a lot more fun to watch. The energy was a little higher since there were two people trading off on vocals, and as with most Catch 22 shows, they crowd interaction was humorous and a lot of fun to watch.

Catch 22 played a solid set and definitely got the kids worked up for the Suicide Machines’ set.

After the negative reaction to their Self-titled album, I was anxious to see how well the Suicide Machines would be received by their fans.

As soon as the band came out, all doubts were pushed aside. Jay stuck his head out of the curtain as it began to separate, and as soon as it was open, the band went into ‘Break The Glass.’

Jay Navarro could very well be the best crowd participation vocalist ever. He’s always into the crowd allowing kids to sing along and never missed a word. Once you’re in a Suicide Machines show, you can’t help but participate.

The Suicide Machines didn’t leave much behind, playing 21 songs covering all 4 albums. Navarro even had enough time to take a picture with a fan in the middle of ‘Inside/Outside.’

Dan Lukacinsky, Royce Nunley, and Ryan Vandeburghe kept the music tight as Navarro patrolled the stage, sang with fans, and avoided stage divers. It was an incredible sight to see and a lot of fun to be a part of. You definitely can’t help but enjoy a Suicide Machines set, especially if you take the initiative to participate in the fun.

Set List: Break The Glass, Islands, Honor Amongst Thieves, Permanent Holiday, Too Much, DDT, The Air We Breathe, No Face, Hating Hate, Someone, New Girl, Steal This Record, Step One, Black and White World, So Long, Scars, Inside/Outside, Face Values, Off The Cuff, S.O.S., Vans Song