I’ve noticed that during each semester, there’s usually one big show that defines the entire four month duration. No doubt, this evening was at the pinnacle of the Fall 2001 term. With the given line-up, a nearly packed house, and enough energy to power a small former Soviet state, all the cards were folding into place.

RISE AGAINST kicked the evening off with a powerful set of melodic hardcore, not too unlike their labelmates GOOD RIDDANCE. In the seven months since their debut full-length, “”The Unraveling”" was released, these guys have continued to amass a growing fanbase, which was more than evident as a few hundred kids packed in the front of the stage and helped sing along. Thrashing through a set of songs most from the full-length, crowd interaction was pretty high for an opening act. Nation is a large venue however, and RISE AGAINST did seem a little lost up on the big stage, as both their stage presence and their songs failed to grip onto the crowd real tight. Maybe with a few more tours of venues this size, RISE AGAINST will grow into something truly special.

Although I was interested in checking out F-MINUS live for the first time, I wasn’t really excited about it, so I stayed up on the balcony and watched from afar. With a discography of close to 40 songs, all which can be played in close to 40 minutes, F-MINUS blur past you with nary a stop, nor a dull, boring moment. For a lot of the older hardcore scenesters, this brings back memories of the sound that existed before mass commercialization got ahold of punk rock. For me, these guys are hit or miss. I like their new disc, “”Suburban Blight”" very much, but there’s only so much of that grittier punk sound that I can handle, and listening to it live, can be difficult. Fortunately, with vocals shifting between 3 of the 4 bandmates, including the awesome stylings of females, Jen and Erica, F-MINUS’ set was pretty cool – especially when Paul from the great KILL YOUR IDOLS came out to play a tune. I have a feeling that both myself and the rest of the crowd would have dug F-MINUS a lot more if they had played a smaller club (200 people) versus the cavernous halls of Nation (1000 people).

And now, the really good stuff. Paul Miner of DEATH BY STEREO smuggled me backstage, so I got a prime view of both their set and AFI’s which was super appreciated. This was my fourth time seeing DBS, each time playing to a bigger crowd with a more enthused audience. I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that DEATH BY STEREO is probably the fastest growing punk/hardcore act, which is certainly a credit to the fact that they toured pretty much 9 of the past 12 months. With a legion of fans ready to sing along to songs from their epic full lengths, “”Day of Death,”" and “”If Looks Could Kill, I’d Watch You Die,”" DBS’ 40 minute set was extremely frenetic and enjoyable. Watching Paul, Jim and Dan coordinate all of their guitar/bass moves and poses is always fun and oh so metal, especially during the crowd pleaser, “”Hippie Holocaust.”" Efrem’s pinkish, purplish shaggy mohawk was looking as unbalanced as ever before, and given his penchant for leaping into the crowd and punishing himself with crazy jumping, I’m sure some of that hair dye must be leaking into his head. One of the true highlights of the night was to hear the vociferous crowd sing-alongs to genuinely hardcore music (especially on “”Desperation Train”"), something not usually heard at shows this size (unless of course you’re AFI but more on that in a bit). I think the only thing keeping this band from truly becoming huge is that Efrem’s part time scream/bark fails to grip the listener in the same manner that his singing ability does – if he was only more clear at times, these guys could really take root. I also recommend that the boys in DBS take a hint from Mr. Havok and borrow his fishnets some time.

Seeing AFI open for RANCID last fall was pretty amazing, and watching them command a mammoth crowd at this year’s Warped Tour was cool too, but I had no idea what I was in store for with finally getting to see this band headline their own big tour. Like a true headliner, AFI came out to a grand opening of fog-machine induced haze, a magnificent light show, and a crowd chanting every line to “”Strength Through Wounding,”" from “”Black Sails in the Sunset.”" Oh yes, this was going to be a good night. For the next hour, AFI would hit a variety of songs, mostly from “”The Art of Drowning,”" and the aforementioned, as well as the huge “”Total Immortal,”" and a track or two from “”Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes.”" A lot of people get caught up in AFI’s “”antics,”" or their gothic pretenses, but when it comes down the core of what this band is about, entertainment is clearly the most obvious answer. AFI continue to generate absolutely killer punk/hardcore tunes with strong lyrics, insane hooks, and wicked mosh parts – all of the rest of this band’s character masks their music into a tasty package and stunning live act. With the exception of the great drummer (Adam Carson), everyone in this band is jumping around, running across the stage, and kicking imaginary samurai action figures in mid-air (yeah – i had the really good seats). AFI are so intense, sometimes it makes you wonder whether the smoke they use is artificial or not. Highlights for me included “”Wester,”" where I nearly fell off my feet, “” “”Days of Phoenix,”" which should be on all radio stations nationwide, and the back-breaking, “”God Called in Sick Today.”" AFI play their music like pros, and put everything they possibly have into their set. As I walked around backstage after the show, all four members looked completely drained, proving they left nothing but their soul on display for a 60 minute viewing. Sweet.