Detroit – Right in the heart of Detroit, on Michigan Ave, is a venue with some history called Lager House. The venue has welcomed bands like Greta Van Fleet, Protomartyr, The Detroit Cobras, The Beaches and Jeffrey Lewis and has become a staple for many other touring bands. Recently, Fluorescents, accompanied by Frnd Crcl (Friend Circle), stopped by on their tour, and invited local band, Inconsistent Me, to open.
Inconsistent Me, a Detroit pop-punk band, hit the stage to a lively and entertaining crowd. The 5-member band quickly showed listeners like me why they have become so popular. They play with a lot of stage presence—hopping, jumping and having the time of their lives on stage. They told jokes, took a poll or two, and took the time to let the crowd know how thankful they were to be on the stage with them. Their songs were very catchy, the lyrics were well-written and sung, and the crowd ate up every minute of the performance, especially when their new song “UFO” was played.
One of the singers and guitarists sang with an auto-tuner. I am not usually a fan of auto-tune, but the way they used it for their songs was really well done.
FRND CRCL hit the stage next. A band out of South Jersey (and a band that is near and dear to my heart). I spent my high school days becoming a really good friend with their drummer, Aaron. We spent all four years in Concert Band together, among other classes. He continued his dream by becoming part of FRND CRCL, while I went into the media side of the industry and became a photographer.
After releasing their latest album, JRSY FRSH (Jersey Fresh), this past May, the band embarked on a tour that began on May 31st and will continue through September. Depending on the location, Philly-based Cheer Up Dusty or Chicago-based Fluorescents will co-headline with them.
FRND CRCL continues to push themselves as a group, and as frontman Zac Johnson took the mic and greeted the crowd, it felt like they owned the place. Starting with their songs “Shut Up,” “Late Nights” and “Dream Guest”, the band was able to get the crowd of people who were mostly unfamiliar with their music to bounce, jump and head bang. However, mentioning where they were from got some playful boo’s. For context, most Jerseyians who live in the southern part of New Jersey are Philadelphia sports fans. It was during this playful banter that the band learned Detroit is not a fan of Philly sports and, like most of the country, a fan of New Jersey as a whole.
Going back to their set, Zac noticed a little kid in the crowd really enjoying himself. To show his appreciation and make this show unforgettable, Zac got into the front row to perform and gave the kid a high five at the end before getting back on stage. The smile on the kid’s face showed how that would become a core memory for him.
Each song that was played, while still having a pop-punk feeling, had its unique sound. Complex melodies and textures made each song its own experience. You might be jumping up and down for a few songs and then suddenly find yourself swaying back and forth with a lighter in the air.
FRND CRCL made the people who never heard of them take notice.
Co-headlining band, Fluorescents, hit the stage next. Based out of Chicago, the pop-punk quartet was just as energetic, if not more than the two previous. From the first strum of a guitar chord or drum beat, the band did not hold back.
The crowd matched the band’s high-energy performance. You could look around at any given point and see them singing the lyrics right back to the band, all while dancing and headbanging. A little while later, a circle pit would break out, which led the little boy from the FRND CRCL set to crowd surf for the first time to the stage. It was discovered that a crowd member’s birthday was that night, so Flourescents gracefully took the time to sing to him. While some members took a moment to tune their instruments, other members would play impromptu songs to keep the crowd entertained. Much like the reception for FRND CRCL, Flourescents got booed for their Chicago sports references as well. The set honestly had a little bit of everything, which made it feel even more intimate.
All three vocalists sounded very good—you could easily hear them over the guitars and drums, and for someone who didn’t know the song’s lyrics, it was easy to hear and follow along. You could also tell how much they all enjoyed being on stage with one another. Their stage chemistry was mesmerizing, whether from moving around the stage and just messing around during songs, or making hand gestures to the lyrics at the same time. The stage performance and sound were spot on.
A mix of new and old material made long-time fans happy, while new fans were able to hear the progression they have made as a band. There was a sense of personal connection from them. It was mentioned by the band that they recognized some of the faces in the crowd, and it was said with a genuine tone. They really did remember them and mentioned a show or two that they remembered them from.
It was brought to my attention as well, after the set, that singer and guitarist, Sasquel, did not play the guitar until this year for the band. I was blown away by that fact; I could not tell that he wasn’t as seasoned a guitarist as the rest of the band.
All three bands are worth listening to, and if they visit your city in the future, make sure you hit up that venue and see them live. All three bands are well worth it.