The Hideaway, one of the most prominent music venues in the Tri-Cities, hosts shows by many touring and local hardcore bands.
However, the bands that headline these shows, though fused in genre through similar sounds and styles, all have slight to dramatically different themes.
During the Thursday, Sept. 11 show four featured bands, two local and two touring, brought something inimitable to the stage.
When 8 p.m. rolled around and the first band, Beards and Bats, a metal/hardcore band from Virginia, took the stage. B&B played a relatively short set, only four songs to be exact.
The four band members, Dustin, Eric, Burke and Jack were new to the Hideaway and didn’t attract much of a crowd.
Their tone and style were rather ambiguous; seeming to have a more experimental feel than a set in stone direction.
Their vocals were rather good and if they get a clearer view of where they want to go with their band, I think they will improve. B&B’s label is Indie and they’re signed with Snap Neck Records.
The next band to make an appearance was Siren Sky. I found their stage presence and song premise most intriguing.
Siren Sky is from Kingsport and consists of Chad on vocals, Scott and Cody on guitar and Rory on drums. As front man, Chad stated on stage, “We’re 50 percent Johnson City and 50 percent Kingsport.”
All five songs the band performed were murder-based and by that I mean they were either written about famous serial killers or mass murderers. It was kind of interesting to hear and most definitely to see.
Guitarist, Scott hit his head and blew the bridge off his guitar and Chad’s stage antics were unique to say the least, walking across the side of the stage and rolling in the floor as he presented the audience with tales of the emperor Nero and America’s first serial killer, H. H. Holmes.
The murderous theme, I felt was mirrored in the music’s tone, moving at points from an easy, mellow sound and then back into the low growls prevalent in hardcore music. Siren Sky currently has no label and they have created a style all their own. Look for them at upcoming shows.
A Hero Remains, a Christian/metal/hardcore band on tour from Knoxville followed up Siren Sky with what they like to call “Life Metal.”
The five-member band (JR, Josh, Aaron, John and Jonathan) are announcing their signing on Sept. 23. They played a five-song set at the show.
The band’s genre was hardcore but less screamo than the other bands; they’re lyrics clearer with the infiltration of more mellow tones than low growls. Their placement in the lineup provided a nice balance comparative to the other band’s styles.
JR’s vocals were pretty good and the band had a peppy, upbeat feel. They’ve headlined a few shows at the Hideaway and I’m sure they’ll be back.
Last to play was the local, Stand Your Ground. They are currently touring all along the East Coast and other parts of the U.S. and Sept. 11 was their send off show.
They have changed their face recently with two new members, Luke Arnold (Speak of the End) and Will Ford (Sundale). They have replaced former members Rob as vocalist and Aaron as guitarist, respectively.
Drew (drums), Daniel (guitar) and Jonathan (bass) remain a vital part of the band, maintaining its original appeal. SYG formerly had a Christian pop punk feel when they started in 2003, but they have transformed into a more melodic hardcore based band in recent years.
With the latest physical makeover of the band, not much has changed except a few new songs and perhaps a few more low growls interjected here and there. On Sept. 11 the band played a six-song set including two new songs written since their new transformation.
They rocked hard, slipping easily from harmonized mellow tones to heavy breakdowns. It was rather impressive, for despite their recent accommodations, they played really well.
If you like their tunes, their CD, “Open Eyes and Beating Hearts,” which came out May 20, is available online or come see them live. They’ll be playing next at the Hideaway, Oct. 8 passing through on tour.
All the bands I’ve mentioned and more can be accessed through the Hideaway’s MySpace page, where you can look up the lineup for upcoming shows.
If you are interested in listening to any of their music, they all can be found by performing a search on MySpace music.

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