The Veer Union - Concert Review

Most girls who grew up in the 90s opened up gifts of Barbie Dolls and Polly Pockets on their eleventh birthday. Me? I got tickets to the Smashing Pumpkins' Infinite Sadness Tour where I gave myself whiplash, lost my voice, and wore my concert t-shirt out to nothing but a clump of moth-eaten cotton. Since that fateful day in October of 1996, I have been tagging along with my parents to concerts all over the great Midwest. And let me tell you I have seen some of the greatest bands and shows out there:

I watched Disturbed open for a festival in Chicago one year, then headline it they very next.

I saw A Perfect Circle open for Nine Inch Nails when I was a sophomore in high school.

I’ve seen Staind more times that I can count on one hand.

I cried as the Smashing Pumpkins said goodbye to music in December of 2000.

And I rocked my little heart out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Metallica when I was in middle school.

ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, Korn, Gravity Kills, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Blue Oyster Cult, Papa Roach, Kill Hannah… the list goes on and on.

This said – I have never been more impressed with the style and talent of a new and upcoming band than I was last night.

The Veer Union is a rock-hard alternative band hailing from Vancouver, Canada. Last night was their first visit to the great state of Indiana and they did not disappoint (although I pray the dismal bar scene out here didn’t fail them…) The band opened their set with engaging the crowd in a rousing cry of, “Where’s Crispin?!” as their lead man was M.I.A. for about five minutes – hopefully lost in a bottle of alcohol or a woman’s breasts somewhere.

Now, I’ve been exposed to some pretty shitty opening acts. I’m always a bit apprehensive when they start. But this band roundhouse kicked me in my eardrum from the very first guitar riff and absolutely rocked my pants (and socks, and shirt, and underwear for that matter) off with each and every song they played. With Crispin’s melodic but powerful vocals, Neil’s hard-hitting rhythm on the kit, and Eric, Fid, and Roots’ dominating use of their stringed appendages had me swept into a frenzy for their entire set.

At the risk of losing my place in the crowd, I fled to their merch table to buy a CD immediately after their last song. I had the pleasure of meeting the band as well and they are just as amazing as the music they play.

Their debut album, Against the Grain, comes out on April 21st. (Go buy it. Seriously. I’ll block you from my blog if you don’t.) You can also follow them on Twitter, friend them on Myspace, stalk them on Facebook, or just go to their website and creep around.

My ears are still ringing, my hearing is muffled, and my body is in a whole new world of hurt from last night – but it was so worth it.

Oh, yeah. Theory of a Deadman and Black Stone Cherry were pretty good, too.