Rock/ power-pop band Regret Night played a free concert at the D-Note on Saturday, October 10.
Although the concert began at 9:30, these guys didn't actually take the stage until almost two hours afterward. (To anyone who showed up there after reading the weekend picks, and went home early because the opening acts were so bad--sincere apologies.) All Bets Off (just renamed One Too Many) made a passionate attempt at punk rock, but could not keep the beat; T-Shirts 4 Tomorrow were only slightly less painful. Both openers' sets went too long, and T4T even negotiated from the stage to play two more songs instead of one.
Nevertheless, Regret Night's fans were ready and energized even during the quick sound check. True to reputation, the band was lively, animated, and engaging--and much more together musically than their predecessors. Stage presence is definitely their strong suit; they were aware of their audience, and attempted to connect with them at every turn--and they had fun doing it. When a band enjoys playing their own music, the enthusiasm can be infectious. Regret Night had that in their favor.
Even so--having Regret Night head this line-up of bands doesn't offer much by way of comparison. After weathering bands one and two, it was a relief to hear a band that could at least play well together; but that fact only makes Regret Night not horrible. There were still sloppy moments (including a train-wreck ending when they tried to play one of their songs over a drum loop), and their songs weren't quite strong enough musically to back up the hype behind them. The potential is there, but Saturday night, the substance was not.
To their credit, it's obvious these guys work hard, and it has paid off; they have a following, particularly among the younger set. This was a free concert, so nothing was lost but time; it would even be worth a modest cover charge to see them. But with their potential, Regret Night should be challenging themselves more--by writing stronger tunes, tightening up even more musically, and getting on the bill with stronger bands, not weaker ones. Just an opinion.
More in-depth analysis on my blog, The Oomph.
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