I don't like to complain about a concert, particularly such an affordable one ($8). Something went wrong. There might have been 70 people there, and that included the bands. I'd heard Uncommon Sense a couple times before, and they, alone, should have brought that many people. They, with Rock and Roll Worship Circus, who have had several nationally-released CDs, should have packed the house. I hadn't heard of either Asleep for Dreaming or The Visionary, but having heard 'em, they both warranted a lot bigger crowd, too. All four artists were great! Why the low attendence, I still wondered. I heard about the concert, so the advertising should have worked. I told lots of people about it, so I'm sure others did the same. Oh well. It sure made for a more personal experience.
Asleep for Dreaming played first, and I was rather impressed for a first-up band. Usually, I'm finding bands get progressively better as a night wears on. I had to run out to get onf their CDs, but that wasn't to be. They were apparently sold out. They've got a solid emo/alternative sound. Next up was Uncommon Sense. I'd heard them at a Hot Dogs for Jesus concert, and at Rock the Light in Kansas City. As usual their polish really impressed me for a young bunch of guys --and they're getting tighter every time I hear 'em. Their musical style is modern rock with some faint emo flavorings. They had a full-length CD, which I had to add to my collection.
I liked The Visionary right from the start. With his friendly smile and humorous attitude, he instantly got my attention. His set was getting ready to start, and people had left the stage area. He got on the mic' and with a you-gotta-hear-this tone, he announced "Hey! There's a big black guy on the stage and he's gonna sing! --No, really, you gotta get back in here and see this!" Rap, hip-hop, reggae blend wasn't anything I used to enjoy. OK, I always sort of liked a reggae sound, but rap and hip-hop never used to do anything for me except irritate me. After his announcement, I looked at my daughter and she, too had a big grin on her face. We almost simultaneously said, "I think I'm gonna like this guy!"
