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The Early November/Hey Mercedes/Limbeck/October Fall First of all, I would like to point out that I was probably one of the oldest people at this show. Which is weird because Hey Mercedes and Spitalfield have a slightly older fanbase than your other pop-punk bands. As the show began, I understood why I felt old as this was clearly an Early November crowd. There were hordes of black hair, scarves, thick glasses, and smiles; also not that prominent at a “rawk show.”
Limbeck was the next band to play. The very first thing I noticed was the guitar player wearing cowboy boots. It was weird, but I moved on. Limbeck have a sound like I have never heard before; part country, part punk, part folk. They play catchy tunes and have a genuine innocence. They were shy and the crowd believed them. Overall, the set lacked energy and a lot of their songs sounded the same. The one thing I enjoyed was the way they connected with the audience. They were talking and almost hanging out with the kids in front of them. That’s a rare thing to see in the scene anymore.
At long last came the much anticipated Early November. Their set started The night was OK. Two good, two bad. But, I had a good time in the end... XROXX Rating: XXX (3 X's out of a possible five X's) Jayne*Star
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The opening band was October Fall. When they walked on stage, I settled in for another local shitty band. I could not have been further from the truth. They have a young energy about them that touring bands don’t have. They were grateful to be playing this dirty shit hole. You could tell this was the biggest gig they had ever played. Their first few songs were explosive and energetic. My eyes widened with amazement and I was smiling too. I felt like one of the younger kids. The thing that makes this group a fun act to watch is, without a doubt, their moog player. Imagine Jack Skelington with a mop of dyed black hair. His keyboard was set low to the ground and he had to bend over to play it. He jumped around and stomped his feet and rocked out as well as the other members of the group. There was even a point where he did a handstand while playing. It was fun to watch at least. Their energy was enough to win over the crowd. Their duel-vocaled finale was rowdy enough to encourage a mosh pit and for the singer to break the mic. I strongly suggest catching these kids on stage. 
Next up was Hey Mercedes. Everything I loved about the first two acts was everything missing from these guys. All of their songs sounded the same and they had little stage presence. This is a band that is no stranger to the road and call Chicago one of their favorite places to play. I was not impressed. I don’t think they spoke a single word to the audience, except for a moment to say hi to some parents. I was disappointed to say the least. 
late, but they apologized, and it was OK. I don’t believe that there is a band out there on the road right now that has the charisma of The Early November. From start to finish, they are a roller coaster. Sergio, the bass player, is the most fun on stage. He has a cordless guitar so he can spin and jump and run across stage at will - and he does like a mad man running through the rain. The crowd was chomping at the bit and started jumping before the first lyrics were spoken. They really plowed through songs and talked durring intros to make up for time lost in the delay. During “All of This,” the crowd was so loud, I felt the floor shake. I’m glad they were the last band I got to watch because they were awesome for lack of a better word. In the last seconds of the last song, Serg climbed the scaffolding and dove right into the crowd. He was caught by doe-eyed fans ready to get a broken wrist in exchange for touching their hero.