It’s not often a legendary band comes strolling through town, even if the town is Washington DC, so I jumped at the chance to see 7 SECONDS when I heard that their “”True Roots”" tour would be making an appearance. Before I go into the review, I would just like to point out that when 7 Seconds released their legendary material I was between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. I heard “”Walk Together, Rock Together”" for the first time when I was 15, ten years after its release date. Even with me being a young one during the time of this band’s writing of their classic material, I still identify with their message and all they have stood for in hardcore. Seeing 7 SECONDS for the first time (non warped tour) was a most humbling experience, and if you can get to this tour as it goes around the nation, please do so.

We must not forget the other two great bands on the bill this evening. With KILL YOUR IDOLS and REACH THE SKY, you had two of the hardest working bands out there playing their hearts out. The crowd was an interesting mix of the old guard and the new guard. There were plenty of people there in their 30s, who probably in their younger days were heavily into the punk rock thing, but now, came to the show to reminisce about the great times they had. With the youth running the pit, and screaming along without much abandon, the older crowd admired the energy they once had, from behind the lines. KILL YOUR IDOLS thrashed through about 15 songs in just a shade over 30 minutes, culiminating with the crowd favorite, “”Can’t take my pride.”" The band played a mix of older material off their eps and some new tracks from their new full length, “”No Gimmicks Needed.”" (pick that up fool!) As this band continues to become more and more of a national act, I can only hope that their name becomes as much of a staple in hardcore that some of the bigger bands like SICK OF IT ALL, and H20 currently have. KILL YOUR IDOLS play ferocious hardcore punk with blazing speed, and gritty vocals. Andy Idol is no pretty boy behind the mic, but his way with words and his aggressive mannerisms on stage help the propel the force of the music. As always, it was a pleasure seeing KYI.

REACH THE SKY seem to never to get the crowd reaction they deserve when they come to DC. Sure there were kids singing along upfront with vocalist Ian, but when the breakdowns hit hard, the pit barely flinched. My guess is that it is the product of being a band that puts more emphasis on songwriting rather than breakdown placement. REACH THE SKY write great songs, but for some reason, the energy doesn’t always translate well with a crowd that isn’t 100% die-hard into them. Regardless, I thought RTS sounded heavier than usual, probably due the the kicking (read: damn loud) sound system at the Black Cat. Hitting such favorites as “”Catch the last train,”" “”Maybe Next Year,”" “”The things you say,”" and “”World Stands Still.”" With this being my fourth time checking them out, REACH THE SKY prove to be a truly genuine band out there, not playing for anyone but themselves, and not giving a false impression that “”it’s for the kids,”" or some phony slogan of the like. With bands like REACH THE SKY we all benefit from having a hardcore band that not only recognizes their roots, but continues to support the message of positive, emotional hardcore. I know the crowd must go crazy for these guys in other cities — maybe DC will learn on day, heh.

Okay, so I already went over before how I happy I was to see 7 SECONDS, but besides that, there were a few hundred other people there happy to see them too. I’d hate to say it, but Kevin Seconds, with the short, cropped blond haircut looks remarkably similar to Eminem — scary thought indeed. Anyhow, 7 SECONDS played for about an hour, covering a virtual playlist of classic after classic. Even their few new songs sounded like classics, only being released for about a year. Standouts included, “”Sooner or Later,”" “”Not just boys fun,”" “”Ghost,”" “”Here’s your warning,”" “”committed for life,”" a cover of “”If the Kids are United,”" (that was a blast!), “”You lose,”" “”Here we Go again kids,”" “”the crew”" (of course!), “”regress no way,”" “”trust,”" and the epic of all 7 SECONDS songs, “”Walk together, Rock Together.”" The dance floor went absolutely nuts with each song, as a continuous flow of bodies circulated around in circle pit form. It was by far one of the crazier sets that I have seen, leaving no body free from sweat and exhaustion. One cool part to the show was that everytime some kid stage dove, which was against the club policy, Kevin Seconds single them out and let him know that he was being a jerk by going against the club rules. I’m all for having a great time and letting the energy loose, but I’m glad to see some level of respect for the venues that allow us to have these good times. 7 SECONDS was easily worth the wait in seeing them, and I feel privileged to see such an influential band. After 20 years in the making, they have a lot to show for all they work they have put into it.

Heck of show, catch the tour if you can.