Smile Empty Soul - Smile Empty Soul It was a perfect October night, and a rock show was a-brewing in Hangar 13. The place resembled just what its name might suggest, an airplane hangar. Finding it was a bit of a challenge, but upon seeing it, it was obvious that this was the perfect venue for a rock show. The bar patrons were spread throughout the room, waiting for the show to begin. The crowd of the show seemed stereotypical to any hard rock show; a group of people in various ages, all dressed in black.
New Orleans was one stop of many on Smile Empty Souls ‘Merican Chemicals Tour. Playing with Smile Empty Soul was Acidic, Rise Laveau, First Decree, and The Brenton Sound. Forming when the band members were all still in high school, Smile Empty Soul has found a way to make it work and stay together throughout the years. The band has clearly done a smooth transition from the sound of the 90’s into being able to stay relevant in today’s music scene.
Smile Empty Soul played a wide range of songs, from their early hits to more current tracks put out by them. They made a point to keep the crowd involved in the music, even playing a cover of New Orleans song “Iko Iko” made popular by the Dixie Cups.
Often times at shows it seems there’s a pause between each group as the next one sets up. The split up between the bands makes for an easy distinction between who’s who in the various groups. This show had a seamless transition from group to group that made the concert feel like one continuous stream of music, with no time to lose attention to the music. While the constant stream of music was enjoyable, it made it difficult to draw a distinction between where one band began and the other one ended.
