Hello everyone, welcome back to the No Skip Show! Today we have an amazing show to share that took place in very close proximity to No Skip HQ just a few weeks ago. It would be a short and sweet show with only three bands playing, Common Sage was billed to be there but unfortunately had to drop. They were missed but the other three bands rocked the room enough to make up for one less set. Before we get into the actual sets, if no one has been to Bottlerocket before reading this then I highly suggest checking them out! They have more than just your standard shows almost every day each month, just go to their socials and check out their monthly calendar posts and you will surely find something to have a blast at!

MEZZANINE

Kicking off the show right was the fantastic, young, fresh, new gentlemen on the block, Mezzanine! These guys are incredible for musicians that are definitely a few years younger than myself, putting on a stellar performance for only twenty or so minutes. But, each minute I was entranced by their stage presence and how awesome the songs and band themselves sounded for newcomers to the scene. They did a great job at getting the mood set for the night and getting the crowd warmed up for the rest of the rocking acts to follow. If I’m not mistaken this would be the first time I saw these guys live but they will definitely be staying on my radar for upcoming shows and new music, which they do have a new single that just came out!

SHORT FICTIONS

To follow up an incredible set is another incredible set! The night was really filled with awesome bands who are amazing at what they do, and Short Fictions is no exception. I may be more partial since they are a local crew, but that doesn’t take away from what killer musicians they all are. And they even have a dedicated trombone player, that’s badass! They kept the energy rolling from Mezzanine while also bringing a groovier vibe in places that differed from the previous set. Anytime I see or hear them I almost always get that trombone stuck in my head, and I always get Don’t Start A Band stuck in my head for a few days. They really played a perfect set in my opinion. If there was a local band that ever deserved so much more it's these guys, they excel at what they do and the genre they play. The members are also very sweet and awesome people outside of the band itself, being very connected to the local community and doing all they can to make it shine.

DIKEMBE

To end off the night in a very spectacular way is the emo/punk legends themselves all the way from Gainesville, FL! This would be the very first time I saw these guys live, and it was definitely well worth it! By this time the venue filled out pretty nicely, it wasn’t empty when the show started but definitely sold a lot better than we anticipated by the end of the night, which is always a huge plus! Great for the band as well because they deserve all the attention and praise they get. The band didn’t disappoint by keeping the crowd on their feet and moving around with some nice fast-paced tracks, namely playing their hits, especially the famed Scottie Spliffen, awesome song! For a headliner they played a pretty quick set all things considered, the show ending before 10:30pm, but it had the great effect of hitting hard and fast without overstaying their presence, a common practice in the genre but with lasting impressions! And I can say that I will be catching Dikembe anytime they come remotely close to us again.