Come What May at H2O Live

I think every city should have its own all-ages venue.  Swayze's was my home away from home when I was in high school.  My love of underground music was born and bred in that place.  I got my first taste of hardcore there and it brought me a lot closer to who I am and what I do today.

All-ages venues are places where young bands can cultivate their live set and where kids can go and hang out and watch their friends' bands play.  It's not the most profitable kind of venue, but I think it's the most important to a local scene, and people who run them are obviously in it for the love, not the money.  Orlando's H2O Live is one of my favorites.  The place is really great; local shows and bigger tours, all in one place where the people seem to genuinely care about the local music scene.

I had heard of H2O before, but I had never gotten around to going there. When Come What May had told me that they would be playing there, I figured that I should gather the gumption and hit it up.  I went to see Come What May play and let me say, they had a magnificent set.  The guys radiated a confidence that really sold me on their set and had me feeling personal with them as they were on stage.

There was enough going on, on stage, to keep a blind man entertained.  Tim, like all good keyboardists should be, is the Flavor Flav of the band, crossing the entire stage, back and forth, keeping the crowd pumped and taking away from the anchored feel of the band, as everybody else is fastened down behind mic stands.  It's evident that Come What May have seen themselves play and know what they need to do to keep the audience entertained.  Every member of the band plays precisely and energetically, making the show entertaining no matter whom you're watching.  They control the atmosphere as though they had done this a million times before, displaying many of the characteristics of bands that have been touring for years.

The set wasn't long, Come What May played 6 songs; 4 from their EP, Solace, and 2 new songs, which I haven't made my mind up about yet, but I can say with confidence that Come What May are a band to keep an eye on.  They're engaging in weekend wars all summer, playing Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, and if you get the chance, go see them live.  You'll be glad you did.

Check out footage of Come What May playing "Beyond Set Boundaries" live at the 40 Watt Club on our tumblr page: here. Check Tim out, working the crowd.  I think it's really cool, and a good idea that more local bands could probably benefit from copying.

Also, hit up H2O Live if you're in Orlando.  It's like an incubator for Orlando's young talent.  Tickets are cheap and the shows are worth it.  Check their calendar out here.