The set lights are set up perfectly, the instruments are tuned, and the iconic Hall and Oates record is propped up on the amp. The Gaslight Anthem is ready to take the stage.
On almost every other night, Brian Fallon and crew would dazzle the crowd with their onstage antics and mesmerizing live show. But most nights aren't spent playing in Clifton Park.
People in the front row have their arms crossed and complain at max volume to their friends about the pushing. Their complaints can be heard through the earplugs. This is not how a person in the front row should be spectating a concert.
There are hundreds of variables that go into putting on a great show, but the most important is the crowd.
The Gaslight Anthem has some of the most die-hard fans in the punk industry, which makes every one of their shows amazing. The fact that the band seemed to want to leave the stage due to frustration with the crowd was irritable to say the least.
I can't count how many times a horrible crowd has been the sole culprit for the demise of a show. The one characteristic all of these shows had in common: they weren't in Buffalo.
Buffalo might not have the glitz or glamour that other cities have, but what it does have is a deep-rooted love for music that is unmatched by many other places.
When people go to shows in Buffalo, it's because they want to see the band. In a lot of other places, people just go to the show simply because it's a show.
Whether it's the intimate Mohawk Place or the massive HSBC Arena, after every show the venue's walls echo with the chants of fans who left it all on the dance floor.
The crowd might not seem as though it would have much influence on the overall perception of the show, but it does.
Concerts that have fans shoving to get close as they sing along with every verse make most artists step their games up. They want to match the crowd's intensity.
On the other hand, when the crowd is immobile and silent, bands tend to do the bare minimum. A stagnant audience sucks the fun out of a show and makes it feel like – God forbid – an actual job.
But almost every band I have ever talked to has praised Buffalo for its fans and its dedication to music.
Audiences here do their research about shows. Not only does the crowd know the headliner, but plenty of the people have at least listened to the openers and will party with them, too.
Again, not something you find in a lot of cities. That's why I urge everyone to find an upcoming show in Buffalo and check it out.
Granted, there has been a serious drop off of big name concerts coming this semester. But that's how it always is in Buffalo in the fall. By the time spring semester rolls around, there should be a list of dozens of great concerts.
People can complain all they want about how Buffalo has nothing to do, but I guarantee that those people haven't been to a concert in Buffalo.
E-mail: jameson.butler@ubspectrum.com
