UTG PHOTOS: Pop Evil CD Release Show in Grand Rapids, MI (8/21/15)

­­On August 21, in one of the wildest release shows in Grand Rapids history, superstars Pop Evil returned to The Intersection with an entourage of media coverage to support the release of their new album Up, available now through eOne Music.

Mayor George Hartwell declared it ‘Pop Evil Day’ for the city and a handful of lucky WGRD winners were selected for a secret acoustic set and autograph session at The Stache prior to the live performance.

There’s always a tangible energy in the air when a band like Pop Evil returns to Michigan, but there was something special about walking into this show. Unlike most I’ve attended at The Intersection, this took place outside in the parking lot on a professionally built and lit stage. There were local and national video crews running all over the place. Yahoo! Live was set to do a live broadcast of the whole performance. The sun was painfully bright and setting right behind the stage. It was a beautiful madness.

Torrid - 6

First up was Torrid, a local rock group with great energy and all the potential needed to get the crowd off their feet right away. The sun was glaring from behind the stage as we stretched into the hottest part of the day, but nobody seemed to care. It wasn’t anything some cold beer and good music couldn’t cure. They closed with a cover of “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against The Machine and headed over to the merch tables for some meet and greets.

Red Sun Rising - 12

Red Sun Rising took the stage next. Having caught them at the sold-out Pop Evil show last December at The Intersection, I was excited to see them on them card as support once again. With a slew of material from their new album Polyester Zeal, they stormed the stage and set the bar high for the rest of the show. Finally, the sun was starting to set, people were loosening up, and all of the media crews were starting to get their footing.

Aranda - 9

By the time Aranda took the stage, everyone was thoroughly intoxicated and ready to party. Empty beer cans were starting to pile up everywhere and the crowd swarmed in hoping to lock down their spot for Pop Evil. Aranda kept the show moving with some new material from their album Not The Same which is available now through Windup Records. As we waved goodbye to the sun, the roar of the crowd intensified and the stage lights took over. Aranda walked off stage, the lights went dark, and then everything changed.

Pop Evil - 13

The crowd started to smash in, testing the barricades to the sound of the house music playing over the PA. Conversations of who knew who in Pop Evil from the old days began stirring in the crowd. This wasn’t just a band walking on stage, but an extension of the thousands of lives that they’ve impacted on their way to the top. These were the roots of one of the most powerful trees that Michigan has ever grown and now it was time to watch it bear fruit.

Pop Evil appeared on stage in an explosion of light, and the roar of the crowd was enough to chill me to the bone. Playing a heavy mix of new and old material, the band and crowd were competing for intensity. Women began to lose their minds. A photographer and security guard were both mauled and nearly pulled into the crowd during the first song. Men were torn between fists of beer, fists in the sky, or fists on fellow man. The show had taken the feel of a typical Michigan house party and turned it into a rave. The crowd spilled all the way out of the venue and into the streets. People could hear Pop Evil from all over Grand Rapids and were swarming to see what all the hype was about. The party lasted late into the night and well past the show. It was the craziest release show that I’ve ever attended, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving group of guys to enjoy it with.

TORRID



RED SUN RISING



ARANDA



POP EVIL

Benjamin Howell
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One Response to “UTG PHOTOS: Pop Evil CD Release Show in Grand Rapids, MI (8/21/15)”

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