Posted by John J. Moser at 11:31:53 AM on December 24, 2011
Energy usually is a very important element to a rock show: Without it, a great-sounding show can be bogged down.
Or a mediocre concert can be elevated, as was the case of Patent Pending headlining an eight-band show Friday at Stroudsburg?s Sherman Theater.
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But in the case of the Sherman, that?s a shame, because the show had all the ingredients for a great concert ? not one that needed to be defined by a high energy level.
Whether it was the impending holidays or the waiting ? and sometimes wading ? through what turned out to be a 5 1/2-hour show, many of the bands, including Patent Pending were decidedly off their games. With one exception; we?ll get to that later.
The Long Island, N.Y.-based Patent Pending was all about the energy, putting on a 20-song, 90-minute show that had singer/front man Joe Ragosta frequently crowd-surfing and bounding all over stage. He also incited the crowd not only to jump and form circle pits, but even to do reverse circle pits and a ?crawl of death? in which they split and, rather than ramming into each other in a wall of death, crawled. They also had bubble ?snowstorms? on the Christmas-themed stage and shot confetti streamers into the crowd.
They opened with ?Walk-in Closet? and stormed through ?I Already Know (She Don?t Give a S--- About Me),? which two weeks ago was used on MTV?s ?The Real World.? During ?Shake Weights and Moving Crates,? Ragosta actually brought out a Shake Weight and wiggled it suggestively.
They played ?The June Spirit,? a song they said they hadn?t done in two years, and on which Ragosta inserted lines from Vanilla Ice?s ?Ice Ice Baby? and DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince?s ?Parents Just Don?t Understand.?
They even played ?Decemberween,? which they said was the first song they ever played at The Sherman six or seven years ago. And they covered Smash Mouth?s ?Hey Now, You?re a Rock Star,? from what Ragosta said was an upcoming album of cover songs.
It was all great fun, but the band?s songs were decidedly ragged. Ragosta sang off key on virtually every song, even when he wasn?t running around stage, and the band?s music was far tighter at Allentown?s Crocodile Rock Caf? in July.
They did better on ?Spin Me Around,? which Ragosta dedicated to his fianc?e and played alone on acoustic guitar, and the slower ?One Less Heart to Break? before closing the main set with their new single, ?Douchebag,? which is a great song, but also was ragged.
A three-song encore that started with ?Second Family? and included an appropriate ?She?s a Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas? was more of the same. But at least encores are expected to be ragged, and the band closed, again, with a lot of energy.
Of the supporting acts, Blairstown, N.J.?s Survay Says, which won two Sherman?s Clash for Cash battles of the bands that I judged, was disappointingly ragged on its eight-song, 30-minute set.
They also showed a lot of energy, but were startlingly loose for a band whose ska sound depends on being tight. The band?s three-man horn section was better accompanying Patent Pending on ?Set the Sun on Fire? than on any of their own songs.
Also disappointing was Refuse the Conformity, a young punk outfit from Nazareth and Easton that was so impressive at the Clash for Cash in July and again opening for Patent Pending at Croc Rock in July.?
They muddled through original songs, but seemed far more confident and proficient on a cover of Green Day?s ?American Idiot? (Patent Pending?s Ragosta joined them to sing) and saved their set with a loopy cover of ?All I Want for Christmas Is You,? with some nice lead guitar.
Goodbye Friday of Lopatcong, N.J., played a nice, chirpy pop-punk set with a good, tight sound. They?ve certainly got the teen-pop attraction part down, and were fun on a cover of Jay Sean?s ?Down.?
But the surprise of the night was Kim?s Comeback of Bethlehem, which showed stunning growth since also opening for Patent Pending at that Croc Rock show in July.
They were tighter, punkier and far more confident on a six-song, 22-minute set, playing originals and covers, including a speedy, fun cover of Taylor Swift?s ?Love Story? (Taking a page from The Summer ?Set) and blink 182?s ?I Won?t Be Home for Christmas.?
They closed with Lit?s ?My Own Worst Enemy,? which also had Patent Pending?s Ragosta on guitar. It had the crowd singing along and moshing. That was a good use of energy.
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