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Hot, sweating, disheveled bodies waited in the dark club for the return of emo rock/punk bands Juliana Theory and co-headliner Something Corporate.  The sold out show this past Friday night at Mississippi Nights had already featured two opening bands, and the high school crowd was zealous for the real show to begin.

The openers were a mixed bunch with the first band Red West, giving an excellent performance in their 15-minute time slot.  Vendetta Red, the next band on the itinerary, should have stayed back in their home of sunny California.  Their 25-minute performance was less than desirable, but then again they made the anticipation even greater for the main bands.

After a brief pause, Juliana Theory took the stage in a rocking fashion.  While the crowd pushed towards the stage in a rhythmic pattern, the band played a combination of older favorites off their second release, Emotion is Dead.  After a couple of songs, the band introduced the high school crowd to songs from their newest release, Love.

The Juliana Theory, once labeled as a Christian band, was the cleanest band on stage.  There was no cussing, or perversions, just loud music for the kids to enjoy.  The band was a crowd pleaser with their passionate and engaging performance. 

The bands show could of had more effectiveness with a better mix, and a little more tightness on the new material.  The dynamics were there, just not the production from the sound end of things.  Nevertheless, the crowd was pleased, and from the signs of things, The Juliana Theory's new album will be their most successful to date.

When they left, the lights kicked back on for several minutes, and then an impeding blackout came.  This could mean only one thing.  Something Corporate, SoCo, was ready to teach the St. Louis scene how to rock corporate style.  A short ballad on the piano opened up the production full "I Want to Save You." The crowd immediately reacted by either going crazy in the moshpit or hurling their arms and voices in the air. 

Shortly thereafter, SoCo went into their famed song "Drunk Girl," a story surrounding the debacle of kissing an intoxicated girl without tied affections.  From one song to the next, SoCo took the crowd to their musical world and back.  It was a beautifully odd experience, because there were kids who could relate to both the punk songs and the intermittent stories and ballads sung by band front man, Andrew McMahon. 

Hanging on every word from McMahon, the fans both listened to the quiet stories and shouted the lyrics in every crucial spot.

Something Corporate breathed life into the night with their energy stage presence, and overall good musicianship.  Fusing pieces from diverse musical genres, SoCo has created a new sound that is all their own. 

The night ended with a final word from McMahon saying there would be no curtain call.  The band left with the upbeat number, "If You C Jordan."  And the crowd rocked and went home smiling.