I arrived in the city early to meet up with the guys from Stealing Jane for an interview and photo shoot. The guys were great to work with. Each band member has their own unique personality, but together they get along famously and have a lot of fun. The photo shoot and interview went very well.

On stage was no different. Together, Stealing Jane puts on a fantastic show. They are extremely lively, and that energy quickly spreads to the crowd. I first saw them perform back in November. That show was good, but tonight there was some special spark that ignited their performance to the next level. Their live show is a must-see.

Paper Rival took to the stage next. Their music and approach to live performance is quite different than Stealing Jane's, and the result was an atmospheric change at the venue. Less movement and less energy translates to more musical focus and mood setting. The crowd took well to the shift by appearing completely captivated by Paper Rival's performance. This should come as no surprise, because their music is so good.

I left this show feeling very satisfied. It's always amazing to see how bands with different styles and sounds can affect a crowd. I think the bottom line is how passionate they are about what they do. The audience knows it, and they witnessed passion in abundance tonight.

| 02.01.2008 | Review by Kristen Pierson |