The Masquerade. It is located in downtown Atlanta. The building is a mill from the mid to late 1800s, and looks like it could be the setting for an incredible haunted house. This was the first concert I had been to here, and the venue was very different than what I was expecting. From the outside, it looked like a run down, abandoned warehouse with an old neon sign barely clinging to the side. Despite the look from the outside, the venue was nice on the inside: old stone walls, wooden floors, and three themed rooms - The Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell. The Purgatory was where the Bad Veins show was. It had a small, quaint stage in the back of the room and a bar off to the right of the room. (Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see "Heaven" or "Hell," so they will have to wait until another time...)
(Outside)
(The Purgatory stage)
First to take the stage was the local, Atlanta based band,
Darling Norman. The four-man band is high energy with a unique vocalist and interesting lyrics. They were a really fun band to watch. (We will be posting an exclusive interview with Darling Norman in a few days.) The post-punk, power-pop band played about a 30-minute set before Stagnant Pools took the stage.
(Darling Norman)
Stagnant Pools took the stage around 9:00. They are a two-piece alternative/punk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana. I will be honest, I didn't think that their stage show was as good as it could have been. They come off well in their studio work, so I hope their live show improves with more experience and touring.
(Stagnant Pools)
By 9:45 it was
Bad Veins's turn. The Cincinnati duo was wonderful, just as expected. The indie/alternative rock band has an excellent stage show - interactive, great presence, and good energy. They played about a 45-minute set and did a meet-and-greet and merch signing afterwards. I stuck around and had the chance to talk to them about doing an interview with us, which they agreed to. (We will be posting that interview soon.) Bad Veins was very excited about getting to meet with fans and were very appreciative of them for attending and supporting the band.
(Bad Veins)
All in all, my night at The Masquerade was well worth the $12 I paid to get in. I will probably be going back at sometime this September or October, so be on the lookout for another post about The Masquerade and its other rooms!
