The Same, Torche

I was sitting outside The Orpheum watching people flatten pennies as the trolley rushed by when I finally heard that glorious noise: music. As we filed into the club, I glanced at my watch and read that it was 9 p.m. The show was supposed to start at 7 p.m. and rumor had it that Torche had left Miami a little late that Thursday night.
Nevertheless, the wait was well worth it. The Same, a local band from the Clearwater-Tampa area, was up first. I heard them play a couple weeks before with Auto! Automatica!! and was excited to hear them again. Their music sound had a raw sort of pop/rock edge.
The band has been playing music together for three years and their EP, “Present Time has Past” came out about two years ago. The Same is working on a new album, according to Ryan, and hope to get it out this summer. He describes the new album as having a pop-edge, but harder than their older music. “We are just 20-something kids living life,” Ryan said to me after their set.
Light Yourself on Fire took stage second. It had been a while since I had seen a hard band, and I was glad that it was them. The native Tampa band’s music resonated throughout The Orpheum, as more and more people crowded around the front of the stage. Each song from this metalcore band finished clean and cut. To get an idea of what they sounded like, think a local version of Misery Signals.
After their set, singer Matt Coplon warned us, “You’ll need your earplugs,” as they prepared to leave the stage for the headlining band. They were not kidding.
Torche finally made their way to the stage, and by then, the whole club was relatively packed. I was not sure what sort of sound to expect from this band. The singer, Marius, had a great mustache and much of the band walked on stage with long, tangled hair. That hair was perfect to bang around to their loud music. I even found myself bobbing my own head a bit.
The metal guitar riffs cascaded perfectly to our ears, assuring us that waiting for them was not a mistake. The crowd exploded, apparently anticipating the long awaited show from Miami’s band. Torche brought the audience real power metal music which took The Orpheum by storm.