Nonpoint Brings Out Memphis’ Finest

Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Newby’s –Memphis, TN
Nonpoint with Dirge Within, Red Line Chemistry, Inner 61, and Surrender the Fall

Nonpoint's Elias Soriano works the crowd during the Memphis stop of their tour.

Midweek shows are usually the bane of my existence. They don’t mix well with those like me who have to commute to work for an 8:00 am start the next day. And, as my luck would have it, they’re lately associated with concerts I’m dying to see but too far away to drive over and back on a “school night.” But the stars aligned when my hometown bar Newby’s announced a mid-week show featuring Nonpoint. And I wasn’t the only one to come out for the occasion.

Newby’s is an interesting place to see a show. To say it’s a typical dive wouldn’t do it justice. But it’s been around a hell of a lot longer than I have. Plus, its smack in the middle of the university area, so college game days alone more than keep the place afloat. But this venue has loads of personality… the kind you can only find at a good rock show.



Red Line Chemistry

After grabbing a bite to eat at the bar (I can’t really enjoy a show on an empty stomach) we headed off to see the opening acts. A great combination of local and newly signed bands kept the crowd entertained, a good thing since Nonpoint didn’t go on until well after 11:00pm. While I didn’t know much about most of the opening acts, I was impressed by their performances. And recent/upcoming CD releases from Memphis-based Surrender the Fall and national newcomers Red Line Chemistry will give me some material to look forward to reviewing during the next few weeks.

I was also really intrigued by heavy metal group Dirge Within. What would have usually been a little too hard for my tastes, these guys easily won over the entire crowd by the end of their set. While their intense music was well composed and easy to follow, it was just as much their on-stage charisma that interested those in attendance. So I’ll be checking them out more in the future.


Between all of the acts, the crowd continued to grow steadily. The thing I love most about the Memphis music scene is the sense of family and support the musicians provide each other. It’s common for bands to not only show up for each other’s performances, but to promote for each other as well. They’ll encourage their own fans to come out for one another via Facebook and Twitter, or even mention it at their own live shows. This night was no different. In fact, it lived up to this expectation tenfold by bringing out the big dogs.


As expected, all the current players in the rock scene that weren’t performing were hanging out in the crowd. Prosevere, Joan Red and Sore Eyes were all represented. But they weren’t the only ones. At least one member of Egypt Central was spotted, interesting since they had been filming a music video for their new single “White Rabbit” in Nashville just the day before. Another unexpected guest was hometown boy Zach Myers, currently of Shinedown. But the biggest surprise of his attendance was yet to come.

 

(L-R) Soriano, Rivera and McMillan

At about 11:20 pm, Nonpoint finally took the stage, immediately gaining the crowd’s support with fan-favorite “Miracle.” It’s a high-energy tune that got everyone’s pulse racing with the edgy sound and to-the-point lyrics the band is known for. Nonpoint has been playing crowds like this since 1997, and with seven albums under their belt you can understand why it seems so easy for them. To survive so long in such a volatile industry and keep cranking out records with new hits that are each bigger than the last is no small feat. But stand at the stage for a Nonpoint concert and you’ll quickly figure things out.

Some bands play for money and fame. Others play for the love of showcasing the music they’ve created. Both are valid reasons. However, there are the select few that are most inspired by their fans. This certainly seems to be the case with Nonpoint. Why? Lots of reasons. Like how lead singer Elias Soriano and bass player Ken MacMillan are drenched in sweat by the end of the first song.  Or how all four members play every song with the same amount of energy, obviously investing 100% of themselves physically and mentally.


But the biggest evidence of Nonpoint’s motives are those people standing throughout the club. The teenagers who got in line hours before the doors opened despite the cold weather. They stand devotedly at center stage to sing every song and play a wicked air guitar. Or the socialites back at the bar who are too cool to rock out with the die-hards but can’t help but shut up and pay attention when Nonpoint plays. And everyone in between.


Nonpoint gives their all for the faces in the crowd, each feeding off what the other gives. The connection grows stronger as each song flies by. They cover the gamut of their musical catalog, with tracks like “Victim” from their first album Struggle, all the way to singles from their most recent album Miracle like “Crazy.”


Soriano is a more low-key front man than others currently out there. But his performance is far from boring. Instead he seems to have a tempered presence about him that portrays a great understanding for the music and how to best pull in the crowd. This quality is really showcased during the band’s slower songs, like their cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” and the recent single “Frontlines”. Soriano’s understated style gives him leverage to make the peak of each song even more impactful when his calm demeanor is finally broken by the raging rockstar within. 

 

Ken McMillan

Yet, this quiet intensity is balanced by the other band members’ more “in-your-face” style. It’s as if they draw up a battle plan beforehand and literally attack the set. Guitarist Zach Broderick tends to dip his head with eyes closed, his hair covering his face, as he focuses all of his attention into making his fingers fly across the frets in furious solos. Drummer Robb Rivera, an imposing figure behind the skins, drops a beat so intense you can feel it in your bones. And bassist Ken McMillan seems happiest when his toes are on the edge of the stage, playing his bass and dripping sweat over the crowd as they clutch at his legs.
 

Shinedown's Zach Myers joins Nonpoint onstage.

The late hour didn’t put a damper on Nonpoint’s set, which went on to include other tracks like “Buscandome”, “Alive and Kicking” and crowd favorite “What a Day”. Of course, there was an encore, which delivered a special surprise to the crowd when the band appeared back on stage with Zach Myers. Borrowing a guitar from the band, Myers strapped in and helped deliver Nonpoint’s signature song, “Bullet with a Name”.  This song is like a jackhammer to the brain, making it impossible to focus on anything else other than the guitar riffs and drum beats that completely overtake your senses. It was difficult to hear Soriano’s vocals due to the volume of the crowd screaming the lyrics. But no one seemed to mind.

I couldn’t help but feel jealous as I made my way out of Newby’s after the show. Very few people were leaving, choosing instead to hang out after the show. It’s another example of how close the Memphis music scene is, and how they extend that hospitality to friends from all across the country. But I had an early morning ahead of me. I mean, I’ve got to pay for my next concert tickets somehow, right?