Groove Rock and Emo Takeover Night at Winchester VA Music Bar
Heartbent is in town tonight and “I’m Not Okay
It’s been a minute since I’ve spent a Friday night at a local show in Winchester. Two bands I’ve not yet seen and a band I absolutely adore, Heartbent. Hell yeah! I’m there.
I forgot my debit card at home and hit a little snag paying the cover, yeah, I’m one of those people who doesn’t carry cash. So after a quick phone call out in the chilly 40-degree air, I set up a pin for my credit card, pulled a $20 bill out of the ATM, and went on my merry way (to the front of the stage).
Nights Edge is opening this evening, this is one of the bands I haven’t heard of before. They’re a 3 piece dude band, I believe they said they’re out of Winchester. The vocalist is also the bassist, and both he and the guitarist both have lengthy brunette hair that swings to and fro as they jam. The drummer is super focused on his kit (he has short hair though).
I can’t say Night’s Edge is exactly my vibe, they remind me a lot of Coheed and Cambria (which I’ve never listened to much, either). The crowd is pretty sparse this evening but Night’s Edge has the attention of the people that are on this side of the bar. They sang a song titled “Mothman” towards the end of their set that I really enjoyed.
Lost Caverns is up next, and as they’re setting up, I swear their vocalist looks familiar. As soon as their set kicks off, I now KNOW I’ve heard this dude before. Lost Caverns is a four-man band, and I would describe their genre as groove rock, I’m really digging their sound. They have big stage energy, the vocalist, bassist, and guitarist are all jamming back and forth, moving around the stage. I found myself tapping my foot along to their songs, and the crowd moved in a little closer by now also.
I had a bit of an easier time getting photos of this band. The lights were a bit low for Night’s Edge but I was able to snag the sound man and ask if he could brighten things up for me a bit, and he happily obliged. I can’t for the life of me remember what Lost Cavern’s last song was but man, did they go out with a bang. I even chatted with two of the band members after the show and forgot to ask them, we were way too wrapped up in a passionate discussion about local music.
Last but certainly not least, it’s time for Heartbent to close things out for the night. There’s a short intermission as Lost Caverns breaks down and Heartbent sets up. I take this as an opportunity to hustle over to the bar and grab a soda, I never drink soda and sometimes you gotta treat yourself. It’s a short few steps back to my spot by the stage, and by the time I’ve gotten my drink and pulled my camera back out, it’s time for Heartbent to kick things off.
I’ve seen Heartbent perform before but it’s been at least a year since then. I last caught them in their hometown, Baltimore MD, but they’ve made their way over to my neck of the woods. Heartbent is an emo group that kicks serious ass. They recently did a My Chemical Romance cover set (that I unfortunately had to miss) but luckily they pulled out a few MCR covers for me tonight. One of their originals though, titled “Agony”, had the venue rockin’. For this one, vocalist Alex and bassist Elle traded places. Alex took the bass, and Elle the mic. Alex headed out into the crowd, bass in tow for this one. It really got the place stirred up. As I mentioned before, Heartbent covered not one but TWO My Chemical Romance songs. “Teenagers” and “House Of Wolves”, are two bangers from the hit album The Black Parade. As a girly with two MCR tattoos, I was thrilled about this and sang along to every word.
Heartbent also played a song that they just dropped in January called “House Of Mirrors”.
“Been looking for a way out but you’ll drag me under, won’t let me break away. Rise from the ashes, haunting every day.” It’s an upbeat tune but damn, it made me kinda emo. Heartbent wraps its set with a thank you to the event organizer, the venue, the other bands, and of course, the crowd.
I make my way over to their merch table where I’m greeted by Elle, their lovely female bassist, and Neel, their shredding lead guitarist. They’re super chipper and I finally get my hands on some Heartbent merch. It’s a “House of Mirrors” tee, a black shirt with a white print of a shattered mirror showing the reflection of a woman with no irises. It’s super dope and the cherry on top of a rockin’ cake of a show.
Tonight I got to hear two new-to-me bands and get another show from a band I admire. Needless to say, I’m happy to be back seeing local jams.
See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!
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