Fang Island takes a bite out of Music City

I promise that's the last lame pun I make about this band.

At any rate, Nashville music lovers were in for a treat Sunday night at The End, where Fang Island played with Delicate Steve. They were joined by Nashville natives Bad Cop and Sleeper Agent, from Bowling Green, KY.

To get straight to the point, Fang Island tore it up. All of the bands were great, honestly. Fang Island is known for the incredible amount of energy they bring to a show, and that energy easily transferred to everybody in attendance. Guys were playing air guitar in the crowd and everyone was just generally having a great time.

Fang Island's Jason Bartell leads the charge.

I definitely recall hearing "Careful Crossers" and "Life Coach," which were two of the many highlights that night.

There was one nagging question I had about Fang Island after listening to their album, which was - are there any actual keyboards in their music, or is it all strictly guitar?

It turns out there actually are keyboards, which was my sneaking suspicion in the first place. The band had a keyboard set up along with an additional smaller synthesizer.

I'd also like to retract something I said about the band in the album review, pertaining to the vocals. I was somewhat critical of the execution and arrangement of the vocals on the album, but I have to say that the whole group vocals thing works much better live.

What I liked is that it offers a nice change of pace after lengthy instrumental passages. I do, however, think you need to experience their vocal style live before you can truly appreciate it.

Nicolas Andrew Sadler of Fang Island just destroys all.

The band also played a new song, which featured guitarist Jason Bartell taking the lead on vocals alone for the most part.

Could this be a sign that maybe the band is going to start spotlighting individual vocalists more often in the future?

Delicate Steve plays instrumental rock music that bears many similarities to Fang Island. Guitarist Steve Marion serves as their driving force. They rock hard but also have some pretty, quiet moments that you don't see much from Fang Island.

Drummer Mike Duncan had an interesting setup. His kit combined toms from an actual drum set with electronic drum pads, and he had cowbells attached to the side. It helped lend the band's music a unique flavor.

Mike Duncan lays down the beats for Delicate Steve.

The first two bands of the night played solid, upbeat rock music. Bad Cop got an impressive performance from Mikey Metal on guitar and Hardcore Frazier on drums, but their frontman, Adam Anyone, stole the show with his energetic showmanship.

What antics will Adam Anyone pull? Anyone's guess.

He jumped into the crowd several times, lit a fan's cigarette for him, and even threw a beer can across the room. A few drops soaked into my hair and jacket.

Sleeper Agent also impressed. They had a female vocalist, known only as Kidd, who shared the spotlight with guitarist/vocalist Tutone.

They created some interesting dynamics with the way the vocal arrangements wrapped around the instrumental backing and got the crowd buzzing early on with their lively performance.

The small size of the venue allowed you to get up close and personal with the bands, which led to a neat atmosphere. Overall, it was an evening well spent and I'm glad I made the trip.

Sleeper Agent wakes up the crowd.

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