Apparently I can’t get enough of this theme. Or maybe it just makes a good segue to talk about other things. Or maybe I want to see how many foreign languages I can count in (I assure you there are several).

Regardless, last night I was at the CD Release party for The Weeping Tree’s debut CD, Wake Up Honesty. They had a great lineup: Luciano Outfit, River City Ransom, afterEIGHT, and of course the men of the evening, The Weeping Tree. It was a great show, and it hit on several things that make shows particularly enjoyable to me.

I had never seen afterEIGHT perform before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from them. What they delivered was incredibly musical metal that incorporated the screams and heavy riffs that are popular in the genre today but wasn’t overpowered by any of it. They really are a complete deal, and their stage presence is so energetic, so fun. They swing guitars, jump around, run all over the stage, interact with the crowd, and are obviously incredibly passionate about their music. It just bleeds out into the crowd, and it pulled me right in. They really know how to put on a show. Also, they played a cover of, shockingly, “My Girl” by the Temptations. Not something you expect to hear a metal band play, but as I have said several times before, that is one of my favorite kinds of covers. They put their own unique touch on it, then segued into another one of their songs, picking up the tempo back to the harder rock. I of course didn’t know any of the words to any of their other songs, so it was a welcome way to feel like I was a full part of the experience to be able to sing along with a song I did know. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

Speaking of putting on a show, The Weeping Tree took it to a new level last night. Instead of jeans and t-shirts, the guitarists all wore black shirts with red ties (though the ties didn’t last long), and the lead singer was wearing a white t-shirt with a black tie. Drummers, of course, never wear clothes, and their drummer was no exception. But it gave the impression that you were seeing something special, a show. They had a little bit of performance art on the stage with a girl recreating the cover to their CD, and plus a great (it turns out improved) keyboard intro to the first song. Again, to me that sets the mood, along with lights and fog machines, and so on, and adds to the music.

I’ve seen The Weeping Tree perform about half a dozen times, give or take, and despite broken strings and sound mix snafus, I think this was the best I’ve ever seen them. They had energy, they drew the crowd in with the ever-important audience participation, and the whole thing was a production. Thirty Seconds To Mars often talks about the same thing, that they choose very carefully the colors they wear, and what they do onstage, the lights, and the music, to set a mood and give people not just a bunch of guys up on stage playing music, but a full experience for the senses. I really got this impression from what The Weeping Tree did last night as well.

To cap off a great show, then, The Weeping Tree got their labelmates afterEight to grab instruments and come onstage to play along with the last song. I don’t think any of them were actually plugged in, but at that point it didn’t matter. They were just out there to jam and have fun with their friends, and it got to the point where some of the guys were grabbing acoustic guitars and whatever else was available. It felt spontaneous and fun, it was mayhem to watch, and it was obvious those guys were having an absolute blast. The crowd absolutely ate it up. Again, I felt like I’d seen something very special that night, and it’s that impression that sticks with you. To me, that kind of impression is the most important thing a band can do with their shows. It’s what leaves people coming back again and again for more.