Life > October 9, 2008

By Andrew Amari | Contributing writer

Being my first visit to the Greene Street Club in Greensboro, I walked into Straylight Run’s headlining tour knowing nothing other than the names of the five bands performing that evening.

The first band, A Clerestory (pronounced A Clear Story), had already taken the stage when I arrived. A Clerestory, however, was not what caught my eye at first. The recently renovated club was stunning to say the least. With its slate walls and freakishly large disco ball, the club sent strangely attractive vibes throughout.

A Clerestory, hailing from Raleigh, N.C., was certainly a pleasant break from the tones of power pop bands that have been circulating ever-so-rapidly through the music charts, the radio and the stages of so many local clubs. Although their indie vibe was upbeat and inspiring headed by soothing guitar and piano parts, they lacked any sort of stage presence.

Fortunately, the presence that was seemingly lacking with A Clerestory was certainly picked up by Treaty of Paris in the next act. From Chicago, Ill., Treaty of Paris was consistently entertaining and exciting throughout their act. Their power pop beats were headed by their lead singer’s high-energy performance in which he involved the very small, relatively uninterested crowd.

Alas, Treaty of Paris succeeded in their endeavors of waking the dead, putting on a truly brilliant performance. Following them was the most surprising treat of the night, known only as Band Marino, an indie-folk band from Orlando, Fla. Band Marino put on an outstanding performance, permeated by the sounds of banjo, trumpet, trombone, accordion and a unique variety of other instruments.

They sported classy guitar parts and bass lines intertwined with the melodic vocals of the lead singer in addition to the less common folk instruments that played such a pivotal role in their performance.

The music was catchy and fun, sad and solemn, and everything in between. A hard act to follow, Band Marino was followed by Jonezetta, a slightly more popular band that represented the true rock experience at the concert.

Their sweet riffs and intense vocals offered a natural rock feel for all of the people attending the concert.

The fifth and final band was Straylight Run. Hailing from Long Island, N.Y., Straylight Run brought the ever popular Long Island Scene style to the stage. John Nolan, the lead singer of Straylight Run, was not only spot on during his performance but brought a variety of soft acoustic melodies and ear grinding rock (not to mention a slight comedy act in between songs).

It was a truly awesome performance and was a fantastic way to end the night.

I highly recommend checking out all of the bands’ Web sites and listening to their music. Make sure to keep an open mind and check out some concerts at Greene Street because it was a surprisingly pleasant experience, and I hope that you all can share the same experience I had.