The Sword in Buffalo, Ready for Battle - January 22

Written by Lisa M. Knapp Friday, 30 January 2009 15:37

As we arrived in Buffalo and parked with the address of the venue in our hand, we started walking toward the area we thought the venue was, but there was no sign. We walked by swordshow1

several people on the street, asking them where the venue, The Tralf was, and it ended up that every person we asked was looking for the same venue for the same show. Finally locating The Tralf after pacing the street two or three times, we came out from the cold and headed upstairs for the show. Helpful hint to the owners of the club, a sign is definitely needed outside.

We arrived just as the first opening band finished. The bar was packed full of eagerly waiting people. I was particularly eager because I have never heard of this band until my boyfriend mentioned that we were going to see them. I only just checked out their myspace about a week or so prior to attending the show so I was in for something, but I wasn’t sure what yet. We grabbed a drink, walked around the bar a bit and waited for the band to take the spotlight.

The Sword’s website explains their band as “true swordmen” stating that “Before forging the blade, the swordsmiths underwent fasting and ritual purification. They then worked at their anvils in white clothes, like the robes of the priests. Their efforts were well rewarded.” I am always impressed when a band comes up with more than an ordinary bio or about the band section and actually goes aside and takes the road to creativity and gives their band a mythical story to follow. The Sword has managed such a task, and they certainly had fun with it. The band consists of 4 members or “swordsmiths” as they like to put it, including Kyle Shutt on Guitar, Bryan Richie on Bass, Trivett Wingo on Drums, and J.D. Cronise on Guitar and Vocals.

As soon as the band started a majority of the crowd migrated towards the stage. I was impressed from the minute they started. The performance was an intense hard rock metal show, complete with the head banging on stage. This band has a definitive angle to the performance that they put on, rocking it out with every intense moment they are given and they don’t stop. On stage they head banged and moved to the riveting intensity in the music more than the audience did. They hooked me with the lurching guitar riffs and hooked me in, like a worm to a fish when Cronise started singing.

Though, not including myself and the group I was with, the audience did not seem to be as enthusiastic as a normal rock and roll crowd. The crowd was a downer in comparison to how great the show was. The Sword was unbelievable and normally the crowd would get right into the type of show it was, mosh pit and all, but most people just stood in one spot with their arms crossed occasionally moving their leg or head. Though the crowd was a definite let down, the group I was with did not let it bother them. We had a blast regardless. I would defiantly go see them again, though I would hope that the crowd gets more into the band next time. The crowd did not even budge on giving The Sword an encore; they were simply content on going home. This came to a surprise to me, because every show that I have been to, the crowd gives an encore in the hopes that the band will play more especially if it’s still early. The show was over at the early hour of 11pm and everyone simply took off.

This band has a sound that is definitely defined as metal/rock. They bring many rock bands to shame with how much they simply get into their music. It can not be said often that a band feels the music more than they feed off of the audience, but considering the audience that night was certainly not as into the music as much as I would have thought and liked, the band pretty well ignored them to say the least, and simply concentrated on the task at hand. Though you may think I am being too critical, I have defiantly seen better shows, but then again when I see a show like this I consider the audience as much a part of the show as the show itself. Why? Because I am part of the audience and I would say that fifty percent of a show experience comes from wherever you are. If I was on stage, or the crowd consisted of entirely different people, I would have a completely different outlook. However, no regrets are ever had when a rock show is part of the picture.

Overall if I were to rate the show in it’s entirety I would give it a 6.5/10 star rating, simply because of the audience outcome, but the performance itself get’s an 8/10 star rating.