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Those who arrived when the doors opened for the ZooFrenzy Tour's stop at the Grounds in Claremore, Oklahoma, realized immediately that something was amiss. None of the scheduled bands were there yet, and the band on stage was one that nobody recognized. The Grounds' crew was due to reopen the ministry/coffeehouse that night in its new location. The coffeehouse, sponsored by a local group of musicians called SOAHC (for Sold Out Anointed HardCore), had moved from its cramped former location to gain more room for people. The new building, while still a little rough due to the intense remodeling the crew had done over the past weeks, seemed to be developing into a typical "concerts-only" venue--a few seats around the edge of the room, a large open Concrete floor, and a beautifully built stage. A few booths in the back and a concession table contributed the "coffeehouse" portion of the Grounds' description. Those who had come for a night of slamming rapcore (from both Spoken and .rod laver) and Korn-styled groovecore from Gryp were to be disappointed. Upon finding that Gryp and .rod laver weren't going to make it due to vehicular problems, the Grounds crew called on their list of local bands, and the Muddychucks, a local punk outfit, came in to open the show. The vocalist opened the show, "We know you came here for some hardcore, and we're not that, but we'll try not to disappoint." Many people were outside during the Muddychucks' 55-minute set, but those inside seemed to enjoy the music, which included songs from all of the band's indie releases, as well as the requisite covers, in this case songs originally by Dogwood and One-21. Then came Spoken, the one out of three ZooFrenzy bands able to make it. Shows in this area are always big, because the hometown crowds (Travis's friends from Pryor, and the rest of the band's crew from Fayetteville and Lowell, Arkansas) always come out to support the band. The band kicked their set off with "When I Fall," "New Life," and "Prepare to Meet Thy God," three tunes from their newest disc What Remains. The band's set was plagued by technical problems; I think Jef (the guitarist) went through at least 3 cables trying to find one that wasn't shorted out. But the audience was excited anyway, and when the band uncovered two new songs, "Dance Like David" and "The Question Alone," the entire building was moving. The band only took one song from their debut album On Your Feet. for their somewhat short (45 minute) set But that one song, "The Way You Want Me to Be," was, surprisingly enough, considering the song is one of Spoken's softer tracks, one of the most intense moments of the show. The combination of Matt's plaintive vocals, two distorted yet melodic guitars, Travis' thumping bass lines, and Ronnie's skillful drumming made up a truly wonderful version of a song that on disc is one of my least-favorite tracks from the Spoken catalog. The band wrapped up with three more tracks from What Remains: "Silent Voice," "Your Grace Alone," and "The God You Follow." The audience called for an encore (don't we always?), but the band, tired from several weeks on the road didn't play any more. The show was quite loud. When The Grounds moved, they also upgraded their sound system. My ears hurt for two days afterward, but the show was great! I recommend that if Spoken comes to your area, go see them! But bring your earplugs.
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