Tonight this band showed me why they were selected to be on this years Ozzfest Tour. They were damn good! Thats why!

The Showdown is a group of kids that hail from Tennesee, and when I say kids, I really mean it. They looked like babies! They are teen hearthrob rockers for sure, but in no way does that mean they sounded like kids. They had a southern swagger that was built on a rock and roll foundation. Their sound is a blend of Corrosion of Conformity and Dangerous Toys. Now two things about them that isn't evident when you see them is that one, they are a Christian band - but in now way would you know that from their onstage personas, and two they were a thrash band on their previous releases. A damn good thrash band, mind you. But much to my dismay they only played cuts from their new album last night. I don't know if it is because they are abandoning their old material or because they were the opening band for Days of the New, which is NOT a metal band. Hopefully on Ozzfest they will feel like diggin' up the old tunes as well, because if they don't they might be deemed to "rock and rollish" for the Ozzfest crowd.

Their live show was tight and incredibly fun. The singer had a crazy southern drawl and was a pleasant frontman everytime he spoke. Just a good 'ole boy, you could say. He sang great and once and a while he would slip in metal screams and growls which he pulled off just fine. The guitar duo did their job but really didn't stand out and I don't think they were trying to. They even had a honkytonk rock song which they actually needed an accoustic for, so that was a nice change of pace and oh man did that drummer love his cowbell! That was something I actually enjoyed. Old, but new i suppose. The whole frontline sang backup and did so masterfully. Another interesting thing that they did was to play a Metallica/Pantera medley to give props to their metal roots. That was a blast! I was really looking forward to their very good cover of "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas, but to my suprise they didn't play it. THAT would have been an instant hit here in the state of Virginia, so I think they really missed an opportunity to win some fans by not playing that.

The crowd was only about 150 people, who were primarily there to see Days of the New, so they kinda didn't know how to handle The Showdown, but as the night went forward you could tell that the band had at least earned their respect. I'm still not sure how or why The Showdown was on this tour. I'm guessing they are just trying to get road proven any way they can before Ozzfest consumes their souls. Overall, The Showdown was a seriously kick-ass and fun band. On Ozzfest, if they play their metal cards right, you will hear a lot more from them in the future.

I score em as a 7 of 10 as a live band. Had they played some of the thrash, their score most likely would have been higher. Hopefully if I can see em at Ozzfest I will be able to more accurately gauge their metal prowess when they are playing for people who love metal. I suggest you see this band now in a small venue because at this time next year you will probably have to see 'em in a huge hall.

In my next report I hope to give you the scoop on the Novembers Doom/Saturnus show from TONIGHT! Stay tuned.

Go to the BGR gallery (CLICK HERE) and check out my pics from last night's the show.

BE SURE to check out our friends at JAXX NIGHTCLUB! www.jaxxroxx.com

If you would like to attend a Jaxx show please let me know. I might be able to drag you along with me.

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And oh yeah...

Peace and Metal Grease!

berube