Admittedly, after a week of incredible sadness, I wasn’t totally in the mood to go to a hardcore show, but with a little prodding from a friend the night before, I am beyond glad that I went – proving once again that a little bit of escape entertainment can go a long way. Just watching and listening to the postivity brought forth by STRETCH ARMSTRONG alone was worth the trip to Baltimore, and the other three bands supported quite nicely.

BRAND NEW are an up and coming melodic punk band from Long Island who play with a ton of spirit and a good dose of musicianship. Although I’ve heard of them before, and the band is located very close to my hometown, I’ve never seen them live, so this was pretty cool. With an album due out real soon on Triple Crown Records, a couple of new songs were sported, many of which sounded like a more serious NEW FOUND GLORY (that doesn’t take much…), with all the same style breaks three quarters of the way through most songs. Fortunately, BRAND NEW strike back with all of their band members singing together, and that added emphasis goes over very well live.

For some reason, I just had this feeling that xLOOKING FORWARDx was going to be this brutal hardcore act. Maybe it was because a heck of a lot of big, angry looking dudes made their way to the front of the crowd, or that the band looked a tad aggro, but when they struck the first note, xLOOKING FORWARDx took on a much more straight-forward, old-school approach, full of positive spirit, and a lightning fast beat. Assisted by the massive crew of back-up singers and moshers aplenty, this was a fun set that most of the floor in an uproar. Drilling through about 10 songs in 15 minutes, this is my kinda hardcore. These guys appear to playing all over the area, check them out if ya can.

FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER are pretty much on my stereo every other day lately. I don’t know what it is with their recent full length, “”The Moon Is Down,”" but I’m hooked on it. This was my first chance to hear their new singer, and honestly, he seems to be far more powerful than Chris Carraba ever was. Not that I don’t care for Chris’ vocal duties, but the new guy is very physical in the way he gets his words out, and he was one giant ball of energy on stage. Featuring mostly tunes off the new disc, the avid crowd seemed pretty familar with the workings. “”The Bradley,”" “”Snowbirds and Townies,”" “”New Year’s Project,”" “”Pictures of Shorelines,”" and the clincher, “”A New Desert Life,”" were all played with skill and passion – it was pretty darn cool. Of note, their drummer plays sideways, which allows the crowd to watch has manic this dude is on the skins. If you care in anyway to see yourself as a fan of emotional hardcore, this should be a mandatory place to start.

I kick myself in hindsight for almost not taking STRETCH ARMSTRONG serious enough to even consider not attending this show. Let me put it this way, I’ve attended nearly 150 shows in the past 7 years, and only a handful of times have I ever been more impressed and stunned with a band. Hardcore has never sounded so good, so positive, and so convincing of a spirit and intensity that is nothing but pure honestly. The Sidebar is not a big place as it’s name indicates, and holds probably about 150 people. At least of those there were a part of one giant, continous sea of finger pointing, circle-pitting, sing alonging, contingent of sweaty people. Playing mostly a blend of songs from “”Rituals of Life,”" and their new disc, “”A Revolution Tradition,”" it was non-stop energy from start to finish. “”Means to an End,”" “”For the Record,”" and “”Second Chances”" provided the biggest thrills of the afternoon, and the atmosphere of the venue couldn’t be tighter. I’m convinced that virtually nothing can break the spirit and dedication to positivity that vocalist Chris McLane harbors. It’s been a week since I saw this show and I’m still feeling the excitement generated by STRETCH ARMSTRONG. The only two bands that I can think of that hit me on this level live are BANE and SILENT MAJORITY (RIP). If these guys can make their way to tour full time and continue to put out heart pumping records, There is no reason why STRETCH ARMSTRONG can’t become the next hardcore band the size of SICK OF IT ALL.