The diversity of talent at The Thought Lot’s show Saturday, Sept. 14, brought together people of all ages and musical tastes for a night of rockin’ entertainment.
Starting off, Small Town Titans emitted large amounts of energy, which demonstrated the passion it has in every note.
They played songs off their new album “From Fight to Flight” as well as covers from some of its influences such as Tool and Led Zeppelin.
“This place had the coolest, chillest vibe to it,” Eddie Roberts, bassist of Small Town Titans said.
As the night went on, so did the accumulation of empty beer cans, later recycled, of course. The dimly lit space crowded with couches created an oddly relaxing atmosphere for a rock show. This did not mean people stayed glued to the couches, though.
Second to perform was Hidden by the Grapes, an indie/alternative/post-punk/noise band from Austria, that brought people dancing and screaming to the edge of the stage.
The noise aspect of the band is Christian Steiner’s unconventional methods of guitar playing such as scraping a beer can across the strings and back-handing the fret board.
“Shippensburg feels like home,” said Bernhard Jammerbund, drummer of Hidden by the Grapes.
With another shift in genre, the six members of local rock ‘n’ roll band Big Marge gave its all on stage, matching its fans’ enthusiasm.
“I come [to The Thought Lot] whenever Big Marge is here,” Aggie VanNote said.
The crowd’s singing and hula hooping peaked during one of Big Marge’s most popular songs, “Devil Don’t Love Me.”
“I think the fact that we have been able to stick together for three years and keep growing as a group is our greatest accomplishment,” said Mark Sanford, drummer of Big Marge.
Big Marge was a tough act to follow, but Empire Escorts did a brilliant job as the final act.
The hard rock group caused heads to bang while playing songs from “The Weather EP” along with its new single “Keep the Ghosts at Bay.”
The show ended with the audience chanting, “One more, one more, one more!”
“It’s not about the fame or fortune,” Phil Freeman, vocalist of Small Town Titans said. “It’s about the human connection.”
There was a lot of human connection at the show that night, along with admirable support the band members gave each other.
Tony Diehl, assistant business director, explained the mission of The Thought Lot is to cultivate culture, art and commerce.
The founders of The Thought Lot agreed that Shippensburg was missing something before they turned the abandoned warehouse into the art hub it is today.
Shows are held several times a month. More information can be found at www.facebook.com/thethoughtlot.
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