As It Is and Sharptooth at The Teragram Ballroom
As It Is, Sharptooth, The Teragram Ballroom, January 17, 2019
As It Is, Sharptooth, The Teragram Ballroom, January 17, 2019As It Is
As It Is kicked off The Great Depression Tour: Act II at The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA – delivering an absolutely explosive performance while clearly displaying the love and admiration they have for their fans throughout their one hour-plus set. Performing a good deal of songs from their recently unveiled The Great Depression manifesto, As It Is tackled their pop pop/emo anthems with a staggering amount of passion and conviction. Subjects such as mental health, toxic masculinity, and suicide are the subjects confronted throughout the bulk of their latest material, and As It Is approached the issues with a dynamic amount of imagination and sensitivity. Also on the bill was support from Sharptooth, Hold Close, and Point North – the entire package rendering this a vibrantly memorable night within the confines of the City Of Angels.
Opening their show with the fiery reverberations of The Reaper, As It Is proceeded to present their fan base a fascinating, wondrously intensive performance. In addition to the stunning reveries from The Great Depression, As It Is fans favorites such as No Way Out and Hey Rachel were interspersed throughout the show. Even within the quieter acoustic moments of The Question, The Answer and Still Remembering, there is a sense of urgency found in the As It Is compositions that devastate the senses. One highlight of the show was when As It Is performed an inspired cover of The Postal Service song Such Great Heights from the Sub City Songs That Saved My Life compilation.
The As It Is lineup is ready to make an impact in 2019 and beyond, featuring the impassioned talents of Patty Walters on vocals, Benjamin Biss on vocals and guitar, Patrick Foley on drums, Alistair Testo on bass, and newest member Ron Ish on guitar. As It Is present music that will rock your world while navigating the serious issues in this life that matter. The Great Depression Tour: Act II is in partnership with A Voice for the Innocent, a non-profit organization that provides community, resources, and support for people who have been affected by sexual violence. They will have a representative at every date of the tour to educate fans and act as a resource for anyone that may need their assistance.
The end of the set was absolutely moving, with The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry), Dialtones, and The Wounded World inspiring absolutely heartfelt singalongs. As It Is remains a band on a mission, and the overpowering emotion and enthusiasm of their live show will remain with the audience long after the band exits the stage.
Sharptooth
SharptoothHighwire Daze also caught the opening set from Sharptooth, and what an absolutely impressive, passionate collective! Also speaking on issues that affect the youth of today, Sharptooth clearly enjoyed being the super heavy, metalcore odd band out on the bill, and won over the As It Is fans in nothing short of an epic way. Vocalist Lauren Kashan sings and screams straight into the heart of the matter, encouraging the girls in the audience to have a voice when it comes to sexual abuse and other powerful topics. Sharptooth has been garnering a good amount of attention and respect through the hardcore scene, and are clearly a persuasive support band for As It Is. Songs such as Clever Girl, No Sanctuary, Blood On Your Hands, and Pushing Forward are genre classics in the making, and left quite an indelible impression upon the early arrivals. You can bet that Sharptooth will be headlining the next time show up to enrapture and tear apart the historic venues here in LaLa Land.
Be sure to catch Sharptooth, As It It, Hold Close and Point North when The Great Depression Tour: Act II hits your town. And for those who missed their opening show here in Southern California, As It Is and company will be back through the area at Chain Reaction in Anaheim on February 22nd!
(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
