A Fire Inside Rocks the Cains.

It’s hard to write a headline for a concert review like this without implying that a tragedy had befallen Tulsa’s historic Cain’s Ballroom.  So for those who read that headline and assumed that the storied music hall had succumbed to old man fire you can rest easy.  The Cain’s Ballroom is still standing.

I say this with a degree of amazement because after the guys from A Fire Inside, or AFI blazed through there, perhaps the city building code inspectors should give the structure a once over.  AFI is known for it’s edgy punk musical styles and it’s ability to bridge the generational gap with their songs.  Indeed, the crowd at the Cain’s Ballroom who witnessed the show ranged in age from younger kids to adults.  

A highlight of any live performance is the artists ability to interact with their audience and the Cain’s intimate setting allowed AFI to take full advantage of that.  The band’s lead singer Davey Havok, lead guitar Jade Puget and bass player Hunter Burgan worked the crowd well during the band’s 15 song set, making sure all of the crowd enjoyed the experience.

The crowd responded to this by giving respect back when they sang every word loud and clear.  The energy from the artist to the crowd and back was so strong you could almost touch it.  Highlights from the band’s set were such numbers as “The Interview”, Love Like Winter”, and the band’s newest hit “Medicate” from their latest album “Crash Love”.  I even recognized “Miss Murder” from the video game Guitar Hero 3.

A quick canvassing of the crowd after the show indicated that the concert was a huge success.  One not to be missed should AFI make another swing through T-Town.  We are indeed fortunate that we have a venue like the Cain’s Ballroom to showcase bands like A Fire Inside because it allows the artist and the fan to get closer to each other than you would in the BOK Center, or a larger venue.  This is not to say that big ticket shows aren’t welcome for this concert goer, but these shows bring home the essence of music that you can’t get in larger buildings.

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Photos: Kevin Pyle