It has been a long road of dedication and hard work for Wichita, Kansas’ Seasons After. Initially forming in 2006, the band garnished mainstream attention in 2009 with their striking cover of theme song for 1987’s classic vampire The Lost Boys, Gerard McMann’s “Cry Little Sister.” Featured on their 2010 debut record, Through Tomorrow, the band was considered one of the most promising acts on the scene at the time for fans who wondered where they would go next. Faced with adversity, no different than any other band, Seasons After brought in vocalist Tony Housh to replace Chris Schlichting, and join the team of James Beattie (lead guitar/backing vocals), Chris Dawson (guitar), as well as Tim Rails (drums). A band of brothers, Seasons After resurfaced in 2014 with their anticipated sophomore album Calamity Scars & Memoirs. Receiving positive feedback from fans and critics for their latest efforts, the band has been out in support of the material. Now, fresh off their supporting slot for Flaw’s Reawakening tour, Seasons After played a headlining gig at the Amityville Music Hall in Amityville, NY on Thursday June 25th before heading on the long way home back to Wichita.
With no national supporting acts for this special headlining show, some of up and comping Long Island acts had a chance to support Seasons After for the night. First up with the young band by the name of Five Corners. Possessing a desire to play and gain experience, Five Corners is young, but shows promise. Next up was Hard Rock band by the name of Hedbox. Hedbox is a five-piece band comprised of members with a variety of different influences. With strong stage presences, a lot of energy, and heavy grooved Hard Rock tracks, Hedbox is one to look out for.
The last of the local acts, as direct support for Seasons After, was a band called Redtide. From the east end of Long Island, the band is comprised of Anthony Genovesi on drums, Harlan Beeton on bass/vocals, and Sam Grossman on guitar. Also very young, in fact still in their teens, Redtide took many by surprise. Dominating the stage with excellent songs and a passionate delivery, the crowd was into everything they did. Following Grossman’s guitar popping a string, without any replacements at the moment, the band played on with Beeton and Genovesi jamming out, thus showcasing their musicianship. When Grossman quickly fixed the issue the band went right back in without skipping a beat and overall performed a killer set.
Taking the stage at around 10 pm to an intimate, yet impassioned crowd, Housh, Beattie and Dawson, Erbert, and fill in touring drummer Jared Ruyle (Black Box Warning) came out to shake things up. Playing through a set that contained a nice mix of both Through Tomorrow and Calamity Scars & Memoirs, the band blistered through tracks like “Lights Out,” “11:11,” “So Long Goodbye,” and new single “Weathered and Worn.” As Housh voice soared over the melodic mix of Beattie and Dawson’s heavy guitars and Ruyle’s drums. Each song offered up sounded as the studio recordings, both in clarity and intensity that was only amped up by their delivery. Keeping the chat to a minimum and the music pumping out at a steady fierce pace, Housh did take the moment between songs to thank those in attendance.
Remaining extremely professional, Seasons After kept a tight, cohesive sound throughout their, despite the heighten temperature from all the body heat in the room. Wiping sweat from their faces and remaining on point, Seasons After rocked The Amityville Music Hall as if there was no tomorrow. That type of enthusiasm certainly resonated with the fans and left them yearning for more. Applauding after each track, fans were treated to Seasons After’s edition of the aforementioned “Cry Little Sister,” and promised to meet with fans after their set.
It is nice to see Seasons After making a welcomed return to the North East portion of the USA, and to the Hard Rock scene in general. Their new material is mature, hard hitting, and a breath of fresh air to a sometimes cookie cutter Hard Rock scene. With that said, this is a band which should not be discounted and deserves more mainstream attention. As for the fans at Amityville Music Hall, they were no doubt appreciative of the performance and eager to see what more the band has to offer in the forthcoming years. That same feeling should start to spread more and more as Seasons After continue to rattle with shows like these.
No comment