August 23rd, Huntington, NY - The Alarm, in support of their new CD, ∑ Sigma, invited post-punk band Modern English and the alluring Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel to join them on tour, bringing a bit of 80's alternative nostalgia with them.
While it's often observed that some fans don't wander into the venue before the headlining act, on this particular night, it was getting pretty crowded before the show even started.
Jay Aston took the stage first, opening with the classic "Twenty Killer Hurts".
He worked the stage flawlessly and performed hits like "Heartache", "Jealous", "The Motion of Love" and of course, "Desire (Come and Get It)".
Modern English took the stage next and quickly had the crowd singing along to every song. Frontman, Robbie Grey looked comfortable as ever on stage, while performing songs like "Swans on Glass", "Table Turning", and "Hands Across the Sea". They closed with their hit, "I'll Melt With You", which everyone was waiting for.
As the minutes ticked away, any extra standing space on the floor that might've existed earlier, seemed to disappear as everyone started inching their way closer to the stage.
The Alarm was introduced and as the guys walked out on stage, cheers erupted letting them know it was going to be one hell of a night.
They opened with "Blood Red, Viral Black", a song off their latest CD, Sigma. From there they went back to 1983 with "The Stand", which gained recent recognition when it was featured on an episode of "13 Reasons Why".
In between songs, Mike Peters took time to stop and reflect on some memorable points in their lifetime. He spoke about the time he met both Sid Vicious and Joe Strummer in the same night, which was quite a comical story. He also gave a shout-out to Long Island and, more specifically, My Father's Place, where their first live recording took place.
Psalm, another cut off their new album, proved to be a tender moment on stage. The lights dimmed low as he asked everyone to take out their cell phones to light the room. Mike spoke about his wife Jules, who is currently on tour with them playing keyboards, and her recent battle with breast cancer - and I'm sure it brought tears to a few people's eyes.
As they started to play the opening notes of "Neutral", Peters walked off stage - and a few seconds later, he could be heard singing from the middle of the floor, amongst the standing room only crowd. He maneuvered his way around people, stopping to sing with fans, then gradually made his way back to the stage.
While belting out the lyrics to "Rain in the Summertime", Mike picked up a bottle of water and I'm pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing. But was he actually going to do it? With a big gulp, he spit out a spray of water that got anyone who was standing within a few feet wet. I don't think they seemed to mind.
Mike's voice and harmonica playing is still as strong and passionate as ever. You can tell they had as much fun on stage as we did watching and listening to them.
Peters had everyone's attention the entire night, transporting you back to the 80's with the classics, then reminding you they still have what it takes to makes great music with cuts off their latest CD.
There's still a few dates left on their tour and I highly recommend checking them out!
For more info on The Alarm or to get tickets, please visit their website at: http://thealarm.com
Photo Gallery: All photos by Tina Zito
