Nonpoint feat. Egypt Central, Abused Romance and Decadent Nation

Nonpoint and Egypt Central came to Columbia last Wednesday. The Blue Note hosted the concert that consisted of four different bands. On the bill were Decadent Nation, Abused Romance, Egypt Central and Nonpoint.
At the beginning of the show, there weren’t very many people in attendance, maybe 45 at the most. The audience was pleased with the performance of Decadent Nation, a band of Columbia natives. They played some popular hits such as “Independence Day,” and “Little Mushrooms.” They aren’t a very widely known band, but their sound has been compared to that of popular rock band Chevelle.
The next band on tap was Abused Romance. They were the band that seemed out of place when put with the others. Their sound was as heavy and in your face as the others, but the vocals were high pitched and more of an emo style. I would say their guitars may have been the heaviest of the four bands, but that was probably because they brought out more amps and speakers than other bands. The audience echoed my concern for whether they fit on the bill. They weren’t received by jeers and boos, but the audience didn’t pay much attention.
When Egypt Central took the stage, many were curious who they were. They are a nationally recognized band, but apparently they hadn’t reached Columbia’s ears…yet. They killed the show, captivating the entire room, and being the first band to start a mosh pit. I, along with a few other fans, was loudly singing every one of their songs and those who weren’t appeared as if they wished they knew the words so they could be more involved in the amazing sound. They closed the show with their hit single, “You Make Me Sick,” and the crowd went wild.
The headliner Nonpoint walked out on to the stage last, and it was obvious, they were the band everyone came to see. The meager crowd of 45 had grown throughout the evening and peaked around 100 when Nonpoint took the stage. They took the stage and made it clear that it was their stage. They opened with their latest single, “Miracle,” and every song from then on the crowd sang loudly. Their sound got the crowd really moving and at one point, they even got the entire venue jumping up and down. The band ended the show with its cover of “In The Air Tonight” by Genesis and the fans soulfully sang along. Nonpoint exited the stage to chants of “Encore!” and “Nonpoint.” They obliged and played two more songs, finally closing with their heaviest two songs to date, an older one, “What A Day,” and “Bullet With A Name.”
It was a fantastic show, but the odd placement of Abused Romance knocks it down a peg. They were a good band, but just didn’t fit. This show, which left fans with sore necks, and bruised limbs, receives a four out of five stars.