Lylvc at Hangar 1819

Photos and Writing by Olivia Rozinski

Bands mentioned: The Cardinal Endeavor, Reflect//Refine, Dark Signs, Lylvc (pronounced Lilac)

If you’re familiar with these bands, one of your first thoughts might have been something along the lines of how eclectic the night would be. You’d be absolutely correct. And it was a solid line up that covered a multitude of bases throughout the night for that exact reason.

Opening the night, The Cardinal Endeavor started us out with Prog Rock that had everyone in the venue entranced. For those who hadn’t heard them before, they left with a new band to put on their roster based on their reactions. Even the other bands were in the crowd enjoying the show rather than resting, watching their tables, or doing hood rat things. I’ll loosely quote a few of the other band members by saying “that was tight.” Aside: never assume musicians are articulate. It is notable to say that three other bands stopped what they were doing to join the crowd, stayed for multiple songs, and left with eyebrows raised while singing praise (no pun intended).

It was well deserved; The Cardinal Endeavor put on a great show that wasn’t just a pleasure to listen to, but they were not shy in showing how much they enjoyed playing. Performers showing their enthusiasm is an underrated aspect of shows, in my opinion. If you’re not happy to be on stage, it shows. Conversely, if you are, it absolutely makes the show more enjoyable for those in the audience; such is the case for Cardinal Endeavor.

Reflect//Refine followed The Cardinal Endeavor and got the crowd in a Blegh mood. They, thankfully, continued the performance aspect from the start. While I know and respect that performing is physically exhausting, I love when a band opens strong. I’m glad that Reflect//Refine did just that.

Not only was their vocalist mobile across the stage and engaging with the crowd, but their bassist had no problem keeping up and even breaking out some great moves during their set. I won’t say he would win any dance competitions but it does speak to passion and enthusiasm, of which they lack none. While they were heavier musically than some in attendance might have been prepared for if they only came for Lylvc, the crowd still showed up for them and enjoyed every song they were given.

I will say that I absolutely left with a new band on my roster (not to mention a cool hat). I had a pleasure chatting with the band members and have since woven their songs into my playlists as they blend so well with what I listen to (i.e. Vended, Awaken I Am, Wage War). I’ll be blunt in saying that the face I made when I found out they only have 124 monthly listeners on Spotify is roughly the same face I made during several of their songs- you know the one, the one that means it was really good and you want to hear it again. Go give them more attention, they definitely deserve it.

I’ve already written about Dark Signs, but I’ll have no hesitation with singing their praises again (pun intended). I’m glad I was able to hear them with a more full and robust sound system (Thanks Hangar 1819’s sound people!). Dark Signs kept the Blegh mood set up by Reflect//Refine and, dare I say it, even furthered it.

While Reflect//Refine could be recognized by their faster rhythm, Dark Signs thrives in their slower rhythms which so happen to be perfect for head banging and flying elbows (see previous write up). The comparison of Dark Signs to Wage War is nothing new, but I’ll restate it for those just joining us. To me, one of the more notable aspects of Dark Signs is their use of guitar and bass to mimic percussion instruments in their songs. This is such a sneaky way to get a metal song stuck in your head and make it the one you want on repeat.

Dark Signs have absolutely been an addition to my playlists and as a great recommendation for those looking for new metal bands if they’re looking for heavier or slower riffs. Also for those just joining us: these men are a pleasure to chat with and are some of the nicest people I’ve met on the scene. While it’s sometimes important to separate art from artist, this, thankfully, isn’t one of those times- listen contently good people.

I have so much to say about Lylvc (pronounced Lilac); all of it good and accompanied by hand gestures to express intensity. With six people on stage, one would think they might get a little cramped, but it resulted in any moment of their show resembling a well done art piece; there’s something going on to look at and enrapture you at every corner. Throughout the entire show, both vocalists were able to balance playing off each other and interacting the crowd incredibly well. Even their instrumentalists were brilliant at interacting with the crowd, which is surprisingly not common. All of this on top of some of the best energy from a band I’ve seen.

Energy is most certainly an ambiguous term, so when I say energy I mean that rarely was someone in the band not fully engaged, head banging, or enjoying the show just as much as (if not more than) the crowd. And when they weren’t engaged, they were taking a well deserved breather from putting on said amazing show. Case in point when their keyboardist decided to climb one of their columns and play his mini keyboard at the top…or maybe when he decided to lift his whole keyboard (stand included) above his head like a trophy… either way, he definitely had some energy he needed to let out and what a perfect place to do it. It’s also worth mentioning that Kenny, bass, was surprisingly one of the first to interact with the crowd- something he did continuously throughout the show. Normally when vocalists are so, well, vocal, I’ve seen instrumentalists enjoy their spot near the back, but both Kenny and Seth, guitar, were also up front and enjoying the literal limelight. *This is absolutely a call back to the appreciation I have for passion or enthusiasm from the artists during their shows.

While the night as a whole was eclectic, Lylvc closed it perfectly. With rock instrumentals, vocalists reminiscent of Addie Nicole Amick (Halocene) and Mike Sinoda (Lincoln Park/Fort Minor) they blended perfectly with the previous bands while making the moment their own and doing so boldly. I mentioned some big names in regards to the vocalist and I’ll stay on that hill. I’ve heard some eclectic bands, some we’ll call avant garde, in their mix of genres and sounds. It was such a pleasure to hear Lylvc get it right. As mentioned, they have rock instrumentals, a rock/rap male vocalist and a rock/pop female vocalist (I hesitate to say pop, but with such a radio friendly voice, that’s what you get). This is one of those bands that has a little something for everyone and will definitely be a recommendation I give out across the board. If you liked how Fort Minor’s ‘Where’d you go?’ sounded, but wanted it more rock, far more energetic, and with a current catchy sound, I would absolutely recommend giving Lylvc a listen.