The New Crew Part 1: Mike Montgomery

Meet Mike Montgomery, amateur burrito connoisseur and current Political Science Major at West Chester University.  His real interest, however, lies in writing and art.  Some of Mike's interests include playing intramural soccer and being a part of the Residence Housing Association for his dorm, organizing events and planning outings for the other residents.  His favorite food currently is Chicken Pad Thai with Lime Sauce.  Amen!  Mike is also allergic to 4 kinds of antibiotics, thinks cats have more personality then most people do, and like's to show off his wild side with crazy socks... So let's do a little sit down with Mike, shall we?

So Mike what are some of you're favorite artists/bands?

"My favorite artists of all time are Saves the Day and Say Anything. Saves the Day has been in my life for a while and I can always come back to their music, they are my musical home. I go back to them without fail.  Say Anything won my affection around the end of grade school. Their album "...Is A Real Boy" chiseled itself a place in my heart. Max Bemis is my my favorite song writer, at least back when he was mentally unstable.

My recent favorites have been Surfer Blood and Now, Now (formerly Now, Now Every Children). Surfer Blood has a distinct Neo Surf Rock feel that files them into a unique, but quickly growing genre. Now, Now uses a hypnotizing blend of simple chords and a cute female voice. Very standard indie stuff."

What was the best show you attended in 2011?


"The best show I've seen in 2011 had to be The AP Tour at The Starland Ballroom. It featured; Sharks, The Swellers, Title Fight, (a Frank-less) Gallows, and Four Year Strong.

Sharks bring a Clash-like sound to the modern punk table. They're relatively new to the game, but are going to hit home for fans of the classic punk sound.  They didn’t move much during their set, but it went with the stoic attitude of the singer and all of the leather and black cotton on stage. Their band’s T-Shirts look awesome, by the way. At least one member from each of the following acts were sporting a Sharks tee.

The Swellers put on the best performance of the entire show. They sound identical to their recordings. All were clean cut and wearing plain black tees, the kind of guys who were only there to establish themselves as musicians. Not enough good things can be said about them in a manageable paragraph. Check them out and see for yourself.

Title Fight played an average set, they sounded like they were playing music underwater. Their recordings are better, but their performances leave some room for improvement. That being said, they're not my cup of tea. The crowd responded well to their yelling and off key riffs. Lot's of movement, lots of bloody noses.

Gallows is not and never will be the same without Frank. Their new singer (ex guitarist from Alexisonfire, I believe) had a crap haircut and a patchy beard. He was sweaty and screamed indiscernible nonsense into a spit covered mic. The bass was far too loud and the crowd was almost completely unresponsive. He also commanded a lot of respect and encouraged harming other members in the crowd. All in the name of Hardcore, of course.

Four Year Strong reeled in the slack the past two acts let out. If you didn’t know, they are an energetic hardcore pop punk band with chugging riffs and a lot of strong voices. They saved the show, providing excellent sound, fanservice and a ton of fun."