Ah, I just love it when a band gets a hit song that catapults them into stardom. Especially when that band sounds absolutely NOTHING like that song whatsoever.

Grand Rapids artists Pop Evil really kinda piss me off. I’m not trying to talk shit about them, but checking out their show at BackBooth recently made me realize a few things about them.

1. I’m not a fan of this band.
“100 in a 55″ is an infectious ballad that got tons of national play and helped them get on the map, playing the local mega-show Earthday Birthday last year. I’ll admit that I caught myself humming the hook a few times while getting thoroughly pissed off at morons in Seminole County who go 25 in a 35, then a bipolar 45 in a 35. But nothing else gets played by these guys whatsoever. The definition of a one-hit wonder.

2. Their other songs are completely unmemorable.
Er, wait… i’ll take that back. I remembered the songs – they sounded absolutely nothing like their single. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a big deal if you’re talking about someone like Fall Out Boy releasing “Dance, Dance” as a counterpart to “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”. At least both of those songs could live in the same musical house. These guys? Not even friggin CLOSE. It’s like sitting Don King next to Edward Scissorhands; BAD IDEA.

3. Completely confusing clothing.
Bandannas? Really? One guy was even wearing flannel while the rest looked like they could’ve been double in an import racer street gang. I couldn’t tell if I was about to watch Tool Time or get Fast & Furious.

Overall: Didn’t like. Wouldn’t recommend. The single is really the best these guys have to offer, and they even tried to toughen that up as well. It just doesn’t work for you, guys. Decide what you want to be.

On the other hand…
The opening band, Exit The Ride, were actually really good. Definitely had a good feel to them. The bass player was a pinball, bouncing all over the stage and nearly hitting his head on the speaker rack several times. The genre was altervative rock, was done well and left you feeling comfortable with what you were hearing. They weren’t ground-breaking, but they were much more true to their style and didn’t use a catchy single to hook you in order to bomb you with crappy music.

I’d like to take this time to also thank BackBooth for 2-for-$5 PBR. It came in handy that night, for sure.

-By Xander