Concert Reviews: My night with Wake the Sun
On the eve of October 1st, Wake the Sun brought a hammering sound to the intimate Melody Inn on Illinois St.
My ears are still ringing from the show almost 24 hours later and my hunch from my previous review has been confirmed. This band is more impressive live.
The conspiracy theorist in me questions how the hell this band can sound this comfortable after only a year in the business. Perhaps it’s the passion, after all, Tommy Perrotta, the newest member and lead guitarist, jammed so hard he left a smear of blood on his instrument.
Or maybe it’s because lead singer Dillon Mealey was extremely particular with his set-up during the tune-up session. Or maybe it’s because of the rhythmic bass and drums by Jeff Alvarado and Jon Brick, the true culprits of the massive sound.
It could be those things, surely, but after a bit of time to reflect, I must point to keyboardist John Creighton, not only because he plays my favorite instrument, but because of his calm and precise energy that balanced the group’s LOUD rock aesthetic. By no means are Wake the Sun a one man band, but after seeing them in person I came to realize that this group is built on musicians that sound solid as individuals, but shine brighter in tandem.
Although their debut EP features only four songs, listeners got the chance to hear eight songs in total, all records that I’m assuming may fit on their next project. One of the new pieces, “Honest Man,” was a standout of the night. It was chaotic like other tracks they’ve recorded and the music still had an underbelly of groove. This reinforces their influence from genres like the blues, funk and even soul.
Mealey’s voice was fine on the ears as well. I’d argue that his sound faded a little live, however, since the music itself was just that loud and we were in a very enclosed space. Nonetheless, that gripe didn’t hamper my experience one bit. The lyrical aspect of the music grew on me as time went on.
In conclusion, I was pleased to hear my favorite song off the EP, “Politics,” as it captures the band’s core talents. A group this intense shouldn’t be as catchy as they are. They mixed some of my favorite sounds from bands like Interpol and they added a old school jam element right on top. Brilliant combination.
