On February 17, a night of rock and pop punk featuring Silverstein, Tonight Alive, Broadside, and Picturesque will take over The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia. Yes, it is quite a drive for a show, but it’s a Saturday night and Valentine’s Day weekend, so take your sweetheart out for a rock show. Or be your own Valentine and take yourself out for a rock show: no shame! Tickets can be found here. Even if you’re not up for the drive, you can’t go wrong with learning about some new music.
Silverstein is considered a pioneer of post-hardcore and it is a well-deserved title. Since their formation in 2000, the Canadian band has played everything from local Ontario basements to sold-out shows around the world and sold over a million records. I had the opportunity to chat with Shane Told over email about influences, the new album, and the band’s long career. Told, for those unfamiliar with the band, lends his incredible vocals to Silverstein.
With any good band name comes an interesting origin. This time around, we can thank author Shel Silverstein. Told mentions that The Giving Tree really resonated with him and he became attracted to the author’s quirky life and interests.
Silverstein recently released their ninth studio album, Dead Reflection, last summer. According to Told, the response from the fans has been overwhelmingly positive. The raw and honest lyrics have really captured the attention of fans, both old and new, around the world.
Was there anything in particular that surprised Told about the reception to the record? “I knew it was a special record and I knew it meant a lot to me, but I was surprised it spoke to so many of our fans on a different level.”
There aren’t many bands that can claim an eighteen-year-long career, yet Silverstein does exactly that while continuing to put out incredible music and sell out shows nationwide. Shane Told cites the band’s passion for writing great songs, leaning more towards substance over style, and their even-keeled attitudes as key parts of the band’s success.
Silverstein’s set in Denver on their co-headlining tour with Tonight Alive was incredible. It was clear that the crowd, as well as the band, was so passionate about the music as the energy in the room was unlike any other.
Picturesque, a four-piece rock group out of Lexington, Kentucky, combines the vocals of Kyle Hollis with impressive instrumentals from Zach Williamson, Dylan Forrester, and Jordan McGreenway. The band creates their unique sound with clear rock, post-hardcore, and pop influences, deemed “aggressive post-rock with feels” by Hollis. It reminds me of early Sleeping With Sirens; if that’s your thing, this may be your new favorite band.
Picturesque. Photo by Kayla Surico.
The Set List caught up with the band before their show in Denver, Colorado to get a sense of the band dynamic and their new album. Picturesque is known for the insane vocal range of Hollis, hard-hitting and powerful riffs, and the seemingly daily van troubles that once left them stranded in a small Idaho town for four days in the middle of a tour.
Picturesque’s highly anticipated debut full-length release, Back To Beautiful, was released this past July on Equal Vision Records. While the band mentions that the writing and recording process was very rushed, they became better than ever in the studio. Working as a cohesive unit, knowing each other’s strengths, and bringing in co-writers for some outside input led to a great record that received positive feedback from fans and critics alike. This tour has brought the biggest shows the band has ever played, more production, more press, and even bigger sound systems for the gear nerds. More people are singing along at shows than ever before!
In 2018, fans can expect new music, including an upcoming single and music video, and even more touring dates!
Head on out to Richmond for an amazing live show on February 17 and check out some great music!