Sunday 22/10/06 Nintendo Fusion Tour @ The Venue Of Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona

The Nintendo Fusion Tour is the barometer of new rock. Past graduates include Panic! At The Disco, The Academy Is…, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance. This is the tour that launches the best of the best upward and becomes a predictor of superstardom. The line to get in snakes down the street, around the corner and out of sight, it’s going to be a packed house.

The alternative post-hardcore band The Sleeping is one of the most exciting new bands in their genre. Clear crisp drums and instrumentals are the perfect compliment to Douglas Robinson’s pristine vocals. ‘Heart Beatz’ gets the crowd rocking and takes control. Then ‘Listen Close’ gets people surfing. Their music comes down hard in the showcase song ‘Don’t Hold Back’ as Doug stands high on a speaker whilst the rest of the band head bangs. They work the crowd into a frenzy before the show has hardly begun. We’re in for one hell of a night.

Relient K is a Christian pop punk band with a broad appeal. Lead singer Matt Thiessen has a golden voice. One of their members had a tragic death in the family and they’re playing early tonight in order to catch a flight for the funeral. ‘Hi Of 75’ and ‘Sadie Hawkins Dance’ deals out the fun as some kid’s Dad surfs out of the pit. The crowd is into this band and truly impassioned as ‘Life After Death And Taxes’ swings away showing off Matt’s incredible vox. ‘Which to bury; Us or the Hatchet’ has the floor beneath our feet vibrating from the jumping, clapping horde.

Talk of the town, Plain White T’s have spent the last few weeks skyrocketing up the charts. Girls with tears streaming down their faces scream and go nuts during ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk.’ Then ‘You And Me’ and ‘All That We Needed’ add fuel to the fire. Tom Higgenson says “This song is for the girls. It’s a love song.” He performs ‘Hey There Delilah’ with the lone accompaniment of his guitar to the cheering mob. Their hit song ‘Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)’ turns the floor into a moshing plugged in madness eliciting the biggest crowd response of the night.