Seaway + Young Culture
By: Bailey Moser
Who would have thought some endearing punks in New York would like with a kid from Kentucky at a music camp? That’s the beginning of the start for alt-rock band Young Culture sparked. If you’re from the east coast – you’ve probably heard of Young Culture before and attended a live show or two at the festivals they’ve played there. One thing for certain – the Midwest has been missing out and a drop in the heart of America’s crossroads (Indianapolis, IN) is how you turn a spark into a flame. Local Indy band, Juice, set the tone to open the night of fantastic bands. Young Culture Drummer Nick Cavin recalls playing at the intimate Hoosier Dome venue about 5 times now. When asked if they’d ever consider the Hi-Fi in downtown Fountain Square which is within walking distance of the Hoosier Dome – he said the band would be open and looks forward to trying a different venue. The Hoosier Dome is known for its all ages crowd which proved beneficial for Young Culture, with guitarist Troy Burchett saying Thursday's show brought the biggest crowd in Indianapolis yet. Savvage Media counted ~50 headbangers standing around during sound check inside the window-less space. It’s a good thing there were no windows too because with as loud as Young Culture was playing – they surely would have broken one. It felt like the teacher from Peanuts was talking to you after their set ended. A flick of a light switch designates it’s showtime with only the glare from the merch tables to shine a way through the moody purple, stage lighting. With a 7:10 p.m. show time and the Indiana sun still up – it was the perfect evening for a little punk rock. Young Culture had a solid set featuring new releases from (This Is) Heaven, such as “21 Days” and “Drift” which appeared to be fan favorites. Lead Vocals, Alex Magnank sounds just the same live as he does through your stereo. The energy coming out of this dude is unreal, and not to mention, he gives some totally awesome hugs. Young Culture certainly had plenty of itinerary to choose from. Unlike most newcomers, Young Culture boasts a discography dating back to 2016, meaning this is something the guys have been doing together since any of them were of legal drinking age. For a show featuring four other bands, Young Culture definitely came to stand out. They were young, fun, and fresh, which Savvage appreciates. They didn’t take themselves too seriously, but they were also professional in how they presented themselves onstage and off. It was easy to tell they were just happy to share their music and make new fans along the way, which was easily done that night. The band is not set to tour again until September 6th, 2019 where they’ll be back on the East Coast in Durham, North Carolina. When asked how they’ll be spending their time between the tour, Burchett and Cavin agreed they would be writing as much as they could, while enjoying being home for the summer. Check out Young Culture’s latest music video “21 Days” on YouTube HERE.
Canadian band, Seaway, drew a large crowd all the way to the Midwest last Thursday. Indianapolis is a great location for big bands to become even bigger. The heart of the Midwest often gets skipped over for larger known cities such as Columbus or Chicago. Seaway’s stop at the Hoosier Dome of Indianapolis seemed to bring a buzz to Prospect Street with impressive turnouts for all of the bands who performed throughout the evening. Seaway went on at 9:30pm EST following energetic performances from Free Throw, Heart Attack Man, Young Culture, and local Indy band, Juice. To audience members’ liking, the edge-y song “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish conveniently played as Seaway wrapped up their sound check. Also – what an efficient set up, Savvage has never seen a band set themselves up so fast because they were so ready to play. Billie’s “Bad Guy” slowly fades to silence. A flick of the lightswitch in the intimate venue enhances the purple and blue hues lighting up Seaway. As the last performance of the evening, vocalist Ryan Locke opens their show with a rallying call, shouting, “What the f*$# is up Indianapolis?!”. Excitement ensues as the opening rifts for “Pleasures” begins; the same song that opens their newest album. Right on the coat tails of their latest album, Fresh Produce, which dropped April 19th, Seaway seems ready to share their newest work since their album Vacation in 2017. “Pleasures” is really quite a refreshing song. In Savvage’s review of their latest music video, Seaway was compared to having a sound similar to Weezer, however, only “Fresh Produce” applies to that statement. Also, hearing “Pleasures” in the music video compared to hearing “Pleasures” live almost sounds like 2 completely differences songs and that’s said with praise. Savvage had no idea to expect Seaway fans to begin moshing with one another during the chorus of “Pleasures” and other Seaway favorites. That’s what we’re here for right?! When you look at Seaway though – the rough, tough side that moshes makes sense. Locke has this classic appeal to him. Is Captain America going too far? He’s handsome, friendly, and fun – the perfect package for a front man, and yes ladies, he knows how to play the tambourine. Add Locke’s charm with the intensity of vocalist/guitarist Patrick Carleton and you’ve really got quite the duo of harmonies on stage that contrast in the most pleasant of ways. It’s obvious these two spend their own time practicing their vocals together because they really are a highlight to the haunting side of Seaway’s music when the rhythm sounds otherwise. Guitarist Andrew Eichinger and bassist Adam Shoji support this unique dissonance with strong bass chords and eloquent guitar melodies. Leave it to drummer Ken Taylor to give the static while still electric energy that supports the pleasurable experience of watching Seaway live. In fact, Seaway was so pleasurable the skies of Indianapolis opened and poured a solid 2 inches of rain during the first half of Seaway’s set. The pop-up storm was a nice change of atmosphere for a band that seems to be first seen as a summer, island vacation rock group seeing as if you Google “Seaway”, you’ll mostly find them standing front of a body of water or a peach-colored wall. The weather really allowed for the mood behind the heart of Seaway’s music to sink deep. Luckily this indoor venue stayed dry and Seaway kept things warm for the dedicated, soaked fans who made it without their umbrellas. Next time fans can catch Seaway will be opening for Neck Deep in Liverpool, UK on May 24th. They’ll perform another 2 shows in the UK before taking a break back in Canada. Seaway’s next North American show will be in Toronto, Canada on Thursday, August 9th at Echo Beach.
