Long Island that is not all manicured lawns. Hempstead got a splash of gully and it isn’t all Hip-Hop. Glassjaw have been representing Hempstead 1993, pushing the limits of hardcore underground rock for 25 years. The band’s initial mission, was to destroy  the sponsored pop faux hardcore bands (Limp Bizkit/Korn) – think WWE Rage era. While their membership has historically been in flux, group mainstays vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck have been together since high school and  if this show was any indication, there are no signs of slowing down.

I knew it would be lit when there was a strobe light warning on the way in. The crowd was wall to wall rockers and a steady stream of crowd surfing women throughout the duration. This wasn’t my first rodeao but I’ve never seen that many surfers for one act. As long as they didn’t kick the camera, we were cool. Strobe lights blared multiple colors and flashing white lights was not for the feint of heart.

Glasssjaw’s sound is harsh. There is a rhythm to it and a flow, but vocally, Palumbo is gruff, with his full-throated roar at constant war with the music, but in a way that has totally worked for the band for over a quarter of a century. Palumbo’s Chrohn’s disease affliction has been responsible for a few lulls in the band’s recording and touring history, but tonight, he owns the stage and the crowd.

The group ran through some of their seminal numbers, including “Siberian Kiss” from 2000’s Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence and “You Think You’re (John Fucking Lenon)” from 2011’s Our Color Green (The Singles). 

Opening for Glassjaw was Charlotte local group The Reaves Band. They played a truncated but spirited set which included a rock rendition of Alica Keys’ standard “Fallin.” The Reaves’ song was much more accessible that Glassjaw and they had a youthful humility that runs almost contrary to a rock band, but it felt genuine. Look out for more from those guys.  Enjoy the pics.

Glassjaw’s set list”

1. 1. 1. Cut and Run
      2. Tip Your Bartender
      3. You Think You’re (John Fucking Lennon)
      4. Pink Roses
      5. Jesus Glue
      6. Mu Empire
      7. Gillete Cavalcade of Sports
      8. New White Extremity
      9. Shira
      10. Citizen
      11. Strange Hours
      12. Two Tabs
      13. Bibleland 6
      14. El Mark
      15. Closer
      16. My Conscience Weighs A Ton
      17. Siberian Kiss

Opening for Glassjaw was Charlotte local group Reaves. They played a truncated but spirited set which included a rock rendition of Alica Keys’ standard “Fallin.” Reaves’ music was much more accessible that Glassjaw and they had a youthful humility that runs almost contrary to a rock band, but it felt genuine. Look out for more from those guys.  Enjoy the pics.