Hardcore stalwarts Modern Life is War took to the stage at the Middle East Downstairs on Sunday night – here are five things (besides the music) that were pretty sick:
1) Before starting their set, health the band asked if anyone wanted to make an announcement about an upcoming show, here because “we’re from out of town and this is your scene”
2) The band started playing 20 minutes prior to the posted set time. It’s Sunday night and I’m tired, so thank you
3) Lead Singer Jeffery Eaton was genuinely appreciative of and thanked every person who had any part in the show – from the fans and his band mates to the local hardcore scene and the openers
4) Security took the night off – possibly in observance of Columbus Day
5) During “D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S” there were about 50 people on stage or in the air the entire song, with many using the piping running along the ceiling as a jungle gym
So as you can see from this list, the small but very dedicated Boston hardcore community stepped up to make this the craziest show I’ve ever attended at the often buttoned-up Middle East.
The five-piece made a name for themselves with their much-lauded debut LP “My Love My Way” in 2003. After releasing two more excellent albums of no-frills hardcore, they called it quits, got real jobs, and started families. They hadn’t played in Boston since announcing their break-up in 2008, but the five-year gap didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.
They made an unexpected return with the release of “Fever Hunter” this year, and embarked on a short tour in support of the album. Throughout the blistering 13-song set,
While the crowd tried to catch their breath between songs, Eaton made a number of references to the band’s small-town Iowa roots and the way the Boston community had embraced them like one of their own, at one point reeling off an impressive list of local acts both past and present. Eaton even said it “had been an honor” to be on the same bill as local opening act Sobriety High. How often do you hear that from aa headliner?
The band did not play an encore (which earns them bonus point in my book) and ended the set with the aforementioned “R.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S”. After having been mobbed by the many fans jumping on the stage, Eaton wound up like an all-pro quarterback and tossed the mic into the crowd. He then grabbed on to the pipe above his head and screamed the final chorus along with everyone else in attendance.
The move was a not-so-subtle nod to the “we’re in this together” manta of the band and the hardcore community as a whole. I’m sure if you asked Eaton, he would tell you the fans at the receiving end of that mic toss (and everyone else in the room) were every bit as important to the success of the group as he and his four band mates.