A diverse crowd consisting of smelly crust punks, old metal dudes, timid minors, and pompous hipsters crowded into the Mohawk in Austin, TX for a spectacular show as part of the Chaos in Tejas festival that occurs every year. As the sun was coming down, I made it just in time to catch the mighty Trap Them as they were beginning their set. I had never seen them before and was very intrigued to see if they could pull off the tightness and cohesion displayed on their records. The four-piece succeeded in creating a thick layer of sound consisting of down-tuned punk songs combined with a metal undertone and powerful dark vocals. Despite only having one guitarist, the band still managed to produce a large and intense sound that caught everyone’s attention—even those who didn’t want it. Although some of the riffs were quite repetitive with similar pull-offs and hammer-ons, the band was entertaining nonetheless and fun to watch. Front man Ryan McKenney exuded an extreme aura of aggression, leaning with one foot on the monitor and looking people straight in the eyes while screaming his guts out. At one point McKenney acquired a bloody nose from God knows what, climbed the rafter to the second story, and began snot-rocketing his blood onto audience members. Yes it is gross but hey, it’s a hardcore show. 
I left the venue for a little while to get some fresh air (get drunk) and returned to a disgruntled and antsy crowd. Murmurs resonated that Converge, who had yet to arrive, were not going to play. About twenty minutes after they were supposed to start, with the inner five year-old in me about to throw a temper tantrum, they finally showed. Apparently bassist Nate Newton was in the emergency room due to a “health scare.” The band drove straight from St. Louis to Austin after Newton was discharged so they could make the show in time. That is dedication. The band was forced to play an abbreviated set of only about thirty minutes but knowing Converge, I knew they would make it count. Whether you are a die-hard Converge fan or think that Jacob Bannon “yelps like a barking dog,” it is impossible to deny Converge’s pervasiveness and domination within the hardcore community over the past decade. The bands unique brand of hardcore is copied by many and succeeded by none. I clenched my beer as Bannon paced the stage, knowing any second the monster that is Converge would be released. Within two seconds of the opening song “Concubine,” I was in the midst of what felt like a war zone. Despite the pretentious scenesters hardcore dancing and the occasional fight, the crowd seemed genuine and made the show wild and fun like a Converge show should be. At one point someone even took a leap of faith from the second story balcony into the crowd below—ultimate stage dive. The band was as strong as ever and displayed no signs of burnout or discontent. Bannon never stopped moving and shouted his obligatory speeches before each song. Guitarist Kurt Ballou presented his incomparable guitar style with flawless and complex riffs that are technical yet still remain catchy. Even Newton, fresh out of the hospital, had amazing stage presence. Playing a little bit of everything to keep the crowd happy, songs from Petitioning the Empty Sky, Jane Doe, You Fail Me, No Heroes, and Axe to Fall all shook the structure of The Mohawk. The band even played a new song entitled “Runaway” from their split 7-inch with Dropdead coming out June 21st. Despite being only thirty minutes, their set felt like an hour and they played almost everything I wanted to hear. Also, after hearing people say that Jacob Bannon is incredibly pretentious, I was surprised to see him sitting on the front of the stage and talking with every single person that approached him. The band actually cancelled all remaining dates of the tour due to Nate’s condition so I am very lucky that I got to see them.
Canadian hardcore band Burning Love wrapped up the night with an intimate set in a cramped room inside the venue. I was surprised at the low turnout considering Burning love, in my opinion, is one of the better heavy bands currently in the scene. Featuring singer Chris Colohan of the legendary hardcore band Cursed, Burning Love plays straight up rock and roll that blends raspy, yet melodic vocals with riff-oriented song structure and a hint of southern attitude. There are no real surprises with this band. It is just fast and heavy rock and roll with no added fluff or technicality thrown in simply for good measure. The bands sound transferred live very well. The overall tone was low-ended, emitting a thick and strong presence. Christ Colohan’s vocals sounded identical to the record and cut through the music with sheer intensity. My favorite part about the bands set was their demeanor throughout. The members looked like they were having the time of their lives. Despite playing to around twenty kids as opposed to the earlier crowd in the hundreds, they still played their hearts out and connected personally to each face that knew the songs. Colohan was all over the place, grabbing props off the wall, kissing random stuffed animals, and even walking into the opposite room. Although the crowd was disappointing, Burning Love managed to put on a memorable show and exemplify that hardcore can still be fun.
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