Concert Review: Glassjaw and Quicksand Shred Rage At Brooklyn Steel

Sometimes, I think I am madder at someone for THINKING they could play me for stupid rather than their actual “play”. There is something inherently and doubly insulting about a person presuming that, out of everyone in the crowd, you are the one they could bully and diminish for stupid. At Brooklyn Steel, Glassjaw and Quicksand played for those that are too smart to be easily crossed. 

There is something innately distressing about Glassjaw’s melodies. They peak like sirens going off in your mind to combat whatever potential threat is coming to your spirit. Yet, this “threat” takes many forms: from gentrification to a suicidal depression. Whether its you destroying yourself or a system leaving you devastated, Palumbo captures the anger, the sadness, and the savvy it takes to not be disappeared by the odds against you; moving his hands and body as if he is dodging emotional troubles like tossed bricks. Still, “vanishing” as a concept plays into tracks like “New White Extremity,” “Citizen,” and “My Conscience”, and seeing a warehouse of people respond to that feeling is impactful.
Glassjaw – shira

Punk is about rage, and rage is about fear, which Quicksand pulse through a sound that wails like the fighting calls of Godzilla. With red lights beaming behind them, I kept on thinking, “This Is the soundtrack to the Apocalypse!” Yet, that is the point! Post-hardcore rock thrives on the feeling we all get when we think a situation is, literally, our spirit’s end. Who has not said, at least once, “My life is over!” Walter Schreifels uses songs such as, “Divorce,” “Blister,” and “Shovel” as anthems for such pain. Meanwhile Sergio Vega completely SHREDS the bass as if it is a lamb trying to challenge a lion. Its magnificent to watch these musicians, but I had another moment that caught my eye. 
Quicksand – Dine Alone

At the front, I noticed their entourage on the side of the stage, and saw what was one of the most impactful images of my life. A woman in her 80’s/ 90’s sitting down next to a speaker, singing along to Quicksand’s setlist. Right next to her a seven year old boy: holding up rock n’ roll hands. It was as if life’s cycle had been encompassed through the young and the old sitting together; listening to some of the hardest metal music out there, but also the emotional embodiment of what we all feel, at least once: roaring disappointment. For however loud and deranged you may think Glassjaw and Quicksand are, their noise only reflects what people are hearing from this world. For More Information On Glassjaw Click Here And Quicksand Click Here.