Roper - a new beginning

Band Info:

Reese Roper: Lead Vocals

Jonathan Byrnside: Lead guitars

Jonathan Till: Bass guitar

Stephen Till: Rhythm guitar

Nick White: Drums

News:

Photos from the Livermore, CA (2004) show by Chelsea Lewis

Concert Review: (by Chelsea Lewis) Roper's concert in Livermore, CA was an amazing show. Four bands played, the variety was excellent and every musician was superb. A local band from Walnut Creek, CA started the set, playing a few loud, fast punk songs. The youth group the band belonged to attended in full force, and gave the show an opening burst of energy.

Following the first act was Dead in the Water, a quartet with catchy choruses and a singer who could belt them out like there was no tomorrow. Their songs were tight musically, and a trumpet on several songs added a splash of diversity. They did not have a recording available at the time, but this is a band to watch for.

The final opening act was Yellow Second, another offshoot band following the break up of Five Iron. Andy Verdecchio, Joshua Hemingway, Brett Bowden and Scott Kerr put on a great show. Before they played, I was at the merch booth and was contemplating one of their "combo meals" of a CD & t-shirt, and asked Andy and Joshua what they sounded like. Joshua shouted over the music of Dead in the Water to say "We sound like the Beatles...you know, like pop-rock." Well, I bought the CD and a shirt, they have an awesome logo. The music is definitely different from FIF, and had an upbeat, smooth sound. Very sing-along-able.

And then, what we've all been waiting for: Roper takes the stage amid applause and cheers. Energy exploded from the entire group, and the opening of "Hello, Lamewads" was greeted with fists pumping along to the music. Reese's contact was giving him trouble, so "Red Eye to Miami" was an ironic second song. When singing the chorus, he pointed to his irritated eye. A small break ensued after the song, so he could spit on the troublesome contact and get it back in his eye. A lot of bad jokes were told in between songs and there was much jumping around on stage on the part of Reese. A request for "Sweet Dreams" from the audience led Reese to sing a song about sandwiches to the tune of the 80's classic.

It was not all silliness though, the song "Quicksilver" was preceded by an explanation referencing C.S. Lewis and our satisfaction with earthly pleasures. Almost all of the songs from the album, Brace Yourself for the Mediocre, were played, and a FIF flashback of "Handbook for the Sellout" was a crowd pleaser. Also admirable was a donation option to benefit Kenya missions; hence the tour name.

Every band had excellent, enthusiastic musicians and clear vocalists. No vocals were overpowered by music, or vice versa. I went home with a ringing in my ears and plenty of merchandise, quite the happy fan indeed. Thanks to all of the bands for putting on such a great show, I hope to attend many more. Also, a giant thank you to all the behind-the-scenes production crew and venue organizers, everything went smoothly and made for a memorable concert experience!

Roper Links:

Buy Brace Yourself for the Mediocre

Tour Dates from iTickets

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