by Jason

I arrived on the scene late at the South Side Music Hall not knowing what to expect from the venue. I had never seen a band in that room. It’s spacious and is, indeed, set up as a ballroom with a dance floor and the whole nine-yards. The opening band Souvenirs was wrapping up their set not long after I walked into the door (sorry Souvenirs) and I awaited Nothing to take the stage. They opened with a blistering rendition of “Fever Queen” and I knew, within the first bars of the song, that the audience was in for a massive treat. You see, most of the audience was there to see AFI, who was headlining. Most had probably never heard Nothing. As the set progressed, let me tell you, I’ve never seen a crowd of people standing still transform so much over the course of a set. The audience moved from standing still and being relatively quiet (minus the obligatory blasted guy who yells out whatever comes into his head) to dancing, bobbing their heads, and loudly cheering. Nothing had simply won them over.

The band themselves were in fine form. Dominic, Nick, Brandon, and Kyle delivered a set full of walls of sound as well as nuanced blissrock that was dazzling. If you’ve only heard their songs as recordings, you are in for a treat when you hear them live because their tunes are huge, intricate, and incredibly delivered in front of an audience. From the ever popular “Vertigo Flowers” to the more obscure split tracks, Nothing gives everything on stage, drawing audiences into their dense, beautifully wrought world of melancholy and contrasting soaring, tumultuous bliss. Here’s the setlist for those who want to listen to what they are currently playing live.

Fever Queen (Tired of Tomorrow)
July the Fourth (Whirr/Nothing Split 12″)
Chloroform (Whirr/Nothing Split 12″)
Vertigo Flowers (Tired of Tomorrow)
Eaten by Worms (Tired of Tomorrow)
A.C.D. (Abcessive Compulsive Disorder) (Tired of Tomorrow)
Get Well/Bent Nail (Guity of Everything)
B&E (Guilty of Everything)

The tour continues on into March. If they are coming to your city or even within driving distance, I highly recommend you go out and see them. The tour dates and links to information are below.

• Feb 17, Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
• Feb 18, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
• Feb 20, The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
• Feb 21, The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
• Feb 22, The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
• Feb 24, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
• Feb 25, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
• Feb 26, The Chapel, San Francisco, CA
• Mar 02, Beat Kitchen, Chicago, IL
• Mar 03, Daytrotter Downs, Davenport, IA
• Mar 04, Daytrotter, Davenport, IA
• Mar 05, Ace of Cups, Columbus, OH
• Apr 06, The Loft, Lansing, MI