The Iron Horse had an incredibly exciting and sophisticated vibe this Saturday. Colour Revolt, an alternative rock group from Mississippi, played songs off their latest album “The Cradle.” Fiesta Brava, an indie rock group from Northampton provided opening support.
By 10:30 p.m., every table was full of groups of friends gathering for a night of live music. The upstairs was closed, but it felt exclusive to be sitting at a small table mere feet away from the stage. Fiesta Brava, a group of four local guys from Northampton brought quite a crowd for the opening show. Kindred spirits dressed to impress, Fiesta Brava quickly brought a high energy to the venue. The team of three guitars and one drum mold together into a slightly poppy indie rock. The band members seemed to enjoy themselves and smiled at their synchronized sound that was pumping up the crowd. Overall, the vocals were decent, but made up for by the foot-tapping power chords and exciting guitar solos. After performing a five song set list, Fiesta Brava joined their friends in the crowd for the main event.
Immediately, Colour Revolt took the stage, but not to play yet. Each member did his part setting up his own mike and plugging in wires. One could tell right then that this band is the real thing; a bunch of down to earth guys about to express a lot of real, raw feeling through the power of music. And this turned to be true.
Colour Revolt opened with a bang with “The Cradle.” The entire crowd was hit with lots of emotion from lead singer, guitarist and original member Jesse Coppenbarger. Melting perfectly between the incredible sound of the guitars, fast drums, and detailed keyboard, his voice is a vocal bliss. Coppenbarger has an amazing voice and exhibits true passion through his lyrics. His lyrics were hard-core, deep, dark and often angry. Many of the songs included extremely powerful screams that stirred up the vibe in the Iron Horse. It was easy to get engulfed in the anger and become numb to the music.
The band also performed “Naked and Red,” “Mona Lisa,” and “8 Years” off their latest album. They closed with “Mattresses Underwater,” an older song but a favorite of the evening. Apparently the crowd thought the same because Colour Revolt returned to the stage for an encore.
Surprisingly, the crowd thinned out about half way through Colour Revolt’s set. It seemed that more were there to support their friends in Fiesta Brava than for the headliner. However, Colour Revolt did not hold back. Eyes shut with emotion, they left it all on stage. Original member Sean Kirkpatrick on vocals and guitar provided a woven harmony with Coppenbarger, with Luke White on bass, Brookes Tipton on keyboard and Patrick Ryan on drums.
Colour Revolt is a difficult band to classify. Coming from diverse backgrounds, the members have faced years of internal conflict. The hardship definitely shines through with their impressive, dynamic sound. Whether their style of music is your preference or not, the band expresses their passion in a way that you can truly feel. All in all, Fiesta Brava and Colour Revolt provided another great night of live music at the Iron Horse.
Miranda Pote can be reached at [email protected].
