With a more goth-rock feel than anything, Lacuna Coil opened the show and although not too many were there at 6:00 pm to see the band, the band was as tight as ever. Christine Scabbia, the very beautiful and even more beautiful-sounding co-lead singer, is one of the very few women of metal who can stay feminine and still be as aggressive as any male. But much of that is due to Andrea Ferra, who is able to also crossover from heavy to melodic, providing a wonderful contrast and inviting sound. Lacuna Coil seemed to be lost on most, however, who were there not to hear a new style of music. Fans were there to see POD and Blindside, and a more mature nature of metal was not in the cards.

Critically-acclaimed Hazen Street came up next, and even this more fan-friendly sounding band seemed to get the cold shoulder from the crowd. Made up of members from bands such as Box Car Racer, H2O and the Cro-Mags, Hazen Street provides a great mix of their geography, with New York hardcore mixing with California pop rock. But it wasn’t until Elektra Records’ Blindside took the stage that the fans seemed to remember they were at a rock and roll show.

From the moment Blindside struck the first chord, the crowd developed a fever and threw themselves around like a baby throws mashed peas. This set just couldn’t be long enough for the fans, or short enough for the security who spent the 45 minutes catching teen girls and boys like a goalie being peppered on by his teammates.

By the time POD took the stage, many were already drenched in sweat and were warmed up for the main attraction. Sonny took the stage with the band already pounding out ‘Here Comes the Boom’ and from the moment the dreadhead singer hit the stage, the party was on and everyone was there as a guest of honor. At the end of the first song, Sonny hopped up on the barricade and sang along with his followers, as the place was belting out, ‘Boom, here comes the boom, ready or not.’ For the rest of the hour, POD were the ringleaders of the mad circus going on inside Bogarts.

Although the show featured quality bands from start to finish, the crowd was a bit of a let down as their minds were closed for the first half of the night. It is always disappointing to see quality bands playing great music with no one paying any attention. Lacuna Coil will definitely have better days as they get ready to head out for Ozzfest in the states, and Hazen Street is definitely making their mark with critics and will prove themselves on the Warped Tour. It is the two main attractions, Blindside and POD, which seem to be in a bit of limbo for the summer. As Alanis Morrisette would ask, ‘Isn’t it ironic?’