Nonpoint Slays The Orpheum In Madison
May 21, 2013
by Sal Serio
Posted: May 2013
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Elias Soriano of Nonpoint 5-21-13 at the Orpheum Theater in Madison - photo by Kris Huehne
“Did you miss us?” ROAAAAAAARRRRRRRR! This was how Nonpoint cannonballed their way into a 50 minute sweaty, impassioned, high-octane hard rock set of musical solidarity May 21st in Madison. The only thing wrong with that report is the “50 minute” part… I mean, really? Nonpoint has a fervored fanatical following here in the Mad City… and they got billed as an OPENING ACT? To a trendy, kitschy, flavor-of-the-moment act? Utterly ridiculous, but let’s dwell on the positives.
“What A Day” kicked off the voluminous proceedings, and with that song a radio staple here in the Upper Midwest, the audience kept pace singing along with charismatic Zig-Zag shirted singer Elias Soriano. While big bad Robb Rivera kept the beats grounded, looking out in to the crowd with his kit set-up sideways (as usual), the “new guys” in Nonpoint, guitarists Dave Lizzio, Rasheed Thomas, and bass player Adam Woloszyn, went completely off their rockers on the fringes of the stage. Those three guys were throbbing, thrusting, spinning, and swinging every second they were on deck. If this wasn’t “warming up” the hungry, andrenalized, metal-fed masses, nothing is.
Two more “classic era” Nonpoint audience-pleasers immediately followed. “Your Signs” from 2002’s ‘Development’ release, and “The Truth” (‘Recoil’, 2004) were met with overwhelming approval. This concert was a part of WJJO’s “May-Day Melee” series, and as with the Volbeat/Eye Empire concert five days prior, the sound was unusually clear for the sometimes murky confines of the Orpheum Theater.
Another somewhat unsettling characteristic about “The Orph” are the pieces of paint and plaster that occasionally come down on unsuspecting concert-goers, which can be exacerbated by the concussive effects of high-decibel bass-heavy sound systems, and over-enthusiastic jumping about by hyperactive music aficionados. This thought was present in my mind when the band launched in to “Hands Off” and Elias gave the directive to “Follow the bouncing ball! Get your hands up!” which kick-started a pogo epidemic. Mind you, this is not a bad thing! Unless a chunk of 90 year old plaster comes down on your noggin! The other surprise was that there were only two security personnel minding the front of the stage area when the “bouncing” began (later that number grew to four).
After announcing that Madison is “my favorite place on the planet Earth to play”, Soriano led the boys in to the first of a handful of new songs, “That Day”, the new single from 2012’s self-titled Nonpoint release, which features the current line-up. This was followed up by the group’s biggest financial success, their emotive cover of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”, which had everyone in the room contributing at the tippy top of their lung capacity.
Thrashing commenced anew on the next two numbers, “I Said It” and “Broken Bones”, again with all five musicians flinging themselves about the stage area in utter abandon. Dreadlocks and feet were perpetually in motion, and I would have to imagine everyone in front of the stage was getting showered with perspiration. At this point I realized that the band knew they had a limited amount of time to play, and therefore were giving this performance 110% from their first note to the last cymbal crash. Without a doubt, everyone got their money’s worth from this set alone, regardless of who or what was headlining.
The recent radio hit “Left For You” came next, and is a song I was truly looking forward to hearing live. I think this song exemplifies the choice to add the three new members to the fold. The new guys add an element of melody and accessibility to the typically heavy yet slightly hip-hoppy Nonpoint sound. They give it some “pop” if you will, and especially the addition of Rasheed’s harmony vocals take the band’s sound to a new level, which I emphatically enjoy. It was expected that this song would go over well, and everywhere I looked, faces were smiling, lips were singing, and fists were pumping. This is what rock ‘n roll is all about!
Another kick I get from Nonpoint’s live dynamic is Robb Rivera’s stage presence. Since his drum kit is facing toward the side, one can observe his every move and facial expression, as he makes eye contact with the crowd and other musicians constantly. Between songs, he will get up from his drum stool and stalk the stage. I can’t think of any other group whose drummer does that. Robb is a visual treat besides being a monster percussionist.
Woloszyn started pounding out a pulsating bass line during the intro to “Alive And Kicking” from 2005’s ‘To The Pain’ effort, and lead guitarist Lizzio’s curly hair was matted and sweaty as the boys launched into this next pounding crowd pleaser. Elias mentioned that it is likely they will be back in town soon, and hinted that JJO’s Band Camp festival might be the place.
The logical conclusion for this hit-heavy short and sweet set, was the best known from the Nonpoint catalog, ‘To The Pain’s massive hit and heavy hip-hop rocker “Bullet With A Name (On It)”. I even saw the security guys bobbing their heads and singing along! In a wave of feedback, the smokin’ set laid on it’s brakes, and the appreciative audience reacted the same way as they did when their heroes first appeared… ROAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!