Concert Review: I, The Conqueror, Resistor, 9Dead, A Wake in Providence, & Filth @ Queen City Cinema Club
This might just be the most biased thing I will ever write. And disclaimer, this is going to be a long read, I apologize.
I was in Bangor Maine last saturday (06,29,2024) for one of the final stops on Filth’s Southern Hospitality Tour. It was at my favorite venue, Queen City Cinema Club, organized by my favorite booking company, Ballistic Booking. Everything was in place for this to be one of, if not my favorite concert of the year.
I usually don’t talk at length, about a venue or booking company, but today I’m going to. Queen City Cinema Club is a fantastic venue/bar in downtown Bangor. Run by two person team Josh and Tiffany Moulton, they provide a place where creative food and quality drinks come together with music, media, and nerdom; and they’re the only place in Bangor that does it all. They were a second home to my wife and I for years, and always have the best conversation. When they host a concert the place takes on a whole new atmosphere. That’s where Ballistic Booking comes in.
Ballistic Booking, run by Jamie Way, Anthony Brown, Kelly Banks, and Brendan Burgess, are a bright spot for the genres that just don't get enough love in Maine. They are my favorite booking company in Maine for a few simple reasons, one of which is asking people who they want to see, and they are quick to oblige. The other reasons, they’re all nice, which always helps when you’re in public space, but most importantly, they have somebody who KNOWS how to do sound for the bands they bring in; you’ll find out my exact reasoning for that coming up.
Doors opened at 6pm and things didn’t take very long to kick off. I, The Conqueror, was up first. A band I haven’t seen or heard in a while. Like usual they didn’t disappoint. Great aggressive vocals with the instrumentation to match. The drummer knows when to take off and when to stay back to let the guitar players shine. Their set got the night started off right, they brought up the energy, and got everyone in the pit to start sweating a little. They were the perfect opener for the night.
Next up was a band I was unfamiliar with going into the night. I left a big fan. They brought in so many elements to create something aggressive, but fun. The vocalist had command of the crowd, raising the energy even higher than it was after I, The Conqueror played. Guitars and drums were in sync, and there was a DJ. I’ll say it again, DJ. I’m a big fan of the band Issues, I believe they elevated the genre with the introduction of turntables. I believe that is what Resistor showed people during their set, elevation. I expect they'll continue to be on tours with performances like that. I definitely talked their ear off all night, really nice guys, really great musicians.
After Resistor was 9Dead, another band that I was unfamiliar with before the concert. And due to getting a drink at the bar, by the time I got over to watch them the crowd blocked me. But honestly, it made me pay a little more attention. No hardcore dancers in front of me and no time to be distracted trying to get some video. They immediately established themselves as the most technical of the night, every note connected with something else, and it just made sense. The band also had a great ability to give the vocalist all the space he needed in the music to shine. It sounded like they had played those songs hundreds of times. I walked away really impressed.
A Wake in Providence was up next and I was very excited. I saw them last year at The Sinclair when they were on tour with Angelmaker, and I couldn’t hear their vocalist Adam at all. If you’ve heard their albums, or seen live footage, you know how great this guy is behind the microphone. The Sinclair didn’t do him any justice, almost acting like they couldn’t mix certain styles. Well, Kelly Banks of Ballistic Booking successfully mixed their set. Finally, I was able to hear Adam AND all of the AWIP guys, my reaction was happiness. Highs, mids, lows, he does it all while having incredible on stage chemistry with the rest of the guys. They also continued that trend of brutality, they continued to raise the energy.
Finally the headliner of the night was Filth. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay for much of their set due to the long drive home and a busy next day. What I did see was everything they advertise. They don’t pull any punches, shout out Chin Check. They know their way around the instruments, and they all command the crowd, which honestly, I’ve only seen a few bands do live. Of course the vocals. They’re the same on recording as they are right in front of your face, It’s really impressive. When their vocalist hits lows you basically feel it in the pit of your stomach. They are a band you want carrying the torch for this new wave of groups.
It really was a great show all around. Do I really need to give a score? It was a 10.
Below I have linked the socials of the bands, venue, and booking company. Please go check them out, trust me, it’s worth it.
Bands -
Venue / Booking Company
All images of artist used are for free use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976
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