| "The Almost" Hits Gainesville |
| Tuesday, 01 September 2009 19:00 |
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Story by Jon Silman, Photos by Sarah Hsu  I got here early to see local band T13C!, the only opening band on the bill. They hit the stage to a surprising number of local high school kids who seemed to know every word of the band’s catalog. The guys blistered through a 20-minute set, and they got the crowd moving with their energetic synth-pop, guitar-driven songs. The lead singer had a large bandana around his head (think Karate Kid), and the band played a cover of that song "I'm on a Boat," by that guy from SNL, complete with vocoder part. A nerdy kid right in front with glasses was singing every word.  T13C! won me over with their earnest dispositions. I want to be friends with them. Go see them sometime. The weird thing about covering gigs like this is you feel like people should notice you. You feel kind of important—like you're doing something of substance and value. I am the only one who thinks this. The reality of the situation is that I was huddled by the men's bathroom.  This club is called The Venue. Lil Wayne performed here a few years ago before he got bigger than Jesus. There's a metal detector in the lobby. The irony is that the headlining band, The Almost, is Christian. I find this extremely amusing and satisfying. Maybe God has a sense of humor after all. There's a guy in cut-off jean shorts wearing the same exact shoes as me. He's standing in the lobby by the merch table and the metal detector. This young man has long, ragged reddish blonde hair, and he's taking a picture with a young girl. His name is Aaron Gillespie; he's 26 and gives a mean handshake. He's three months younger than me. I ask him if he's the drummer from some other band and if it's Christian (yes and yes).  I make a cardinal mistake. I should have known better, but I got lost in Gillespie's eyes and thought I could trust him. I tell him I love Creed. He gives me the same look of disgust everyone else does (except Christians, usually). Apparently all Christians don't love Creed. Weird. "They suck," Aaron says. I feel stupid. I try to sell it. "I know he's not the best singer, but I love it when Scott [Stapp] goes into Jesus mode. Makes me wanna go to church."  Silence. Time to switch gears. "So ... Creed sucks?" I figure maybe he'll bash them, and I could start some sort of East Coast/West Coast Christian feud (you have to ignore the fact that both bands are from Florida for this to be plausible). He politely declines to comment. I'm running out of gears. Time for the Hail Mary play. "So, we're wearing the same shoes." I put my feet next to his. He's a nine. I'm an eight. But to my eyes, he's a 14 and I'm a seven. He feels my shame. "Nine is really small for a guy," he says.  That didn't help. I'm demoralized. Silence. I'm out of things to say, so I ask him something about the tour.  "Ummm, did you have fun last night?" Stupid. "We've only been on tour three days," he says. "How long does it take before you really get comfortable onstage?" "About a week. My body's not responding like I want it to yet," he says. He does a Jim Morrison snake-like movement to emphasize this. "Does that mean tonight's gonna suck?" I'm officially the worst interviewer ever. Why would I ask that?! Oh yeah, I want him to say something controversial that will make my article. He's not an idiot, however, and doesn't. I ask for his name (even though I already know it) on the hopes of looking more legitimate, which in retrospect probably doesn’t help. I shake his hand. I thank him and walk away to collect myself. I find some stairs to sit on, but it's too dark to write, so I return to the front. Aaron is surrounded by women. I'm back to my old spot by the men's bathroom.  When he hits the stage, everything makes sense. These guys are good. The Almost has a light-up sign reminiscent of "The Price is Right." Sweet. They have a rough start. The sign doesn't light up right away, and Aaron's cord falls out of his guitar, and then his strap breaks. He's a pro, however, and doesn't even flinch. The crowd is cold at first, and he's visibly annoyed.  "Come on, you're from Florida!," he screams. He invites the parents down from the back of the club and tells everyone to prove they are in a good mood. The band plays faster and harder. They are earning their money tonight. The crowd starts to loosen up, and jump and sway. He wins them over during a rendition of the band's hit, "Say This Sooner." Everyone is on board. It's a remarkable transition. This man has a range that could impress Mariah Carey. They play a song called "Dirty and Left Out" with a bass drum beat that punches you in the gut with a soft explosion. His voice fills the room. I look at my notebook. Then at my feet. Jesus.  *For more on The Almost, check out our interview.*
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Last Friday (Sept. 25), INsite got to cover Clearwater-based alt-rock band The Almost's show at The Venue. Here’s our report.
