by Tim Tevault
Managing Editor
“Everything is gonna go my way,” wailed Monique Powell last Saturday as the crowd before her was moshing, skanking and crowd surfing.
After wrapping up the chorus, Powell and her band Save Ferris slowed it down for the hook, then quickly sped it up through the chorus again, much to the crowd’s pleasure.
This was the main action last weekend as Save Ferris headlined a packed show at the Glass House in Pomona. Playing an equal amount of songs from their first two albums as well as a few new songs, the band was fired up with a surreal amount of energy throughout.
Though there were signs of approval for the new songs and the songs off their second album, “Modified,” it was the songs from their debut smash “It Means Everything” that really got the crowd going. From the swingin’ style of “Superspy” to the inspiring “Everything I Want to Be,” the audience went wild.
Meanwhile, songs off of “Modified” that got the most response from the audience were the show opener”Turn it Up,” a quick, upbeat song about the radio, and “Mistaken,” the album’s sole single.
New songs included the popular live song “Can’t Stop,” which much of the crowd was singing along to despite the fact it has not been released yet.
Save Ferris also looked as if it was going to do a cover of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” but it turned out to be only a tease.
In between songs, Powell, the only female of the group, would employ comedic stage banter, including topics like guitar-playing, waxing bikini lines and St. Patrick’s Day.
Powell went on to say that due to this particular audience, she had not had “this much fun at a show in a long time.”
Powell, who started off with a purple hairpiece on, lost it in the middle of the show from her constant, upbeat, energetic stage movements. Flaunting her body with a low-cut blouse and tight white slacks, the lead singer overshadowed her fellow band-mates on stage with not only her sex appeal, but also with her incredible amount of energy. The band’s main songwriter and lead guitarist Brian Mashburn, let his guitar do his talking for him. Saxophonist and guitarist Eric Zamora was the only other band member to utter a word on stage.
Save Ferris also includes bassist Bill Uechi, slide trombonist T-Bone Willy and tattoo-covered drummer Evan Kilborne.
Opening for Save Ferris were Astoria, whose sound was not too defined. All its songs sounded similar.
Never Heard Of It, the second band to take the stage, was like an infusion of Blink 182 and Limp Bizkit.
The five-member band got the audience riled up, beginning the crowd-surfing for the evening.
After their set, Save Ferris stepped up to the stage.
Following a deafening cheer from the audience after their set finished, they returned to the stage. After playing a quick inspirational song, the band played the song that made them a hit, “Come On Eileen,” a cover of the 1980’s hit by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. “Eileen” was one last hurrah for the audience, as everyone got into it by either singing along with Powell or by jumping up and down in the pit.
“It means everything,” trailed Powell at the end of “Eileen,” was followed by avid applause from the audience as a sign of great approval for the show.
Spent but well satisfied with its performance that night, the band exited the stage, leaving yet another crowd satisfied.
