Once upon a time there was a girl named Katie. She lived in Chicago and spent all of her time going to shows at the Metro and Fireside Bowl. Then one-day college began and she had to move to Seattle. It was a very hard departure; she thought she would never be able to live away from her venues. But little by little, with each show she went to in Seattle, Katie realized this place was pretty tight. It seemed that every show she went to introduced her to a new amazing Seattle based band. And last night when Katie went to the Graceland to see Piebald, Minus the Bear, Noise Ratchet, and My Chemical Romance, she was not let down, and found a great new Seattle band.

The show began with My Chemical Romance, an energetic five-piece band. They played an active set, with a lot of movement and emotion. There sound had a harder edge, with vocals that consisted mainly of screaming. Although this band is not my style, I was impressed by their set, and they definitely had their share of fans in the crowd. These nice boys even invited all the girls in the audience to join them in the hot tub at the Holiday Inn they were staying at. How nice.

After My Chemical Romance, Noise Ratchet took the stage. If you have not heard of this band I would recommend checking them out. This San Diego base band had a sound more rock than pop base. According to the band they are "a compound of punk, post-grunge alt-rock and emo." The crowd got into their music easily, and was dancing along to all the songs. I must say, their guitarist had incredible hair, and loved to swing his head around causing his hair to fly everywhere. Actually, the whole band had a lot of movement on stage, and a very strong stage presence. They get two very enthusiastic thumbs up form me. Noise Ratchet is with the Militia Group and has a new six-song ep coming out soon.

Then Minus the Bear took the stage. Wow. What and incredible band. Their set was mesmerizing. I can't rave enough about this band. They had a more mellow tone, which I felt resembled a little of the Dismemberment Plan and Pinback, but a bit more up tempo. This Seattle based band had a large following intently listening in the crowd. Their music was creative and inspiring. Their guitars were amazing, as well as the drums and keyboard. You can really hear their talent when these guys play. I can see them going very far in the future. My thoughts on Minus the Bear are nothing short of Amazing. This is why I love Seattle.

And finally Piebald. First I must say, that front man Travis Shettel, should be in the running for the cutest mad alive. His attitude and enthusiasm on stage make the show worthwhile in itself. They mainly played tracks off their latest release We Are the Only Friends We Have, on Big Wheel Recreation. They also played a couple new songs that sounded really good. However, I must say my favorite songs were Stalker and American Hearts. I am looking forward to a new disc from them. Onstage Piebald joked with each other and the crowd. Unfortunately they did not have the keyboards, but they made up for it. It took a few songs, and a request from Travis, but soon the crowd was dancing, singing along, and having a good time. Having a good time is exactly what a Piebald live show embodies. Even if you don't know their music, you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself and their set. If you have not seen them live, shame on you. Go see them! You will not be let down.

Thank you once again Seattle for another happy ending. Keep the amazing music coming.