Anabel Martinez
Editor-in-Chief
Alternative indie rock band Tigers Jaw brought out their best energy for their final show of their Last Minute Magic tour at the Glass House in Pomona on Saturday. Tigers Jaw and opener Seahaven fans sold out their two-show weekend at the Glass House on March 11 and March 12.
The venue’s large but intimate size allowed the crowd to get a great view of Tigers Jaw and longtime friends of the band Seahaven from the pit, off to the side or upstairs.
“The shows have been amazing and more than we could’ve ever hoped for, especially these two Glass House shows. It means the world to us,” Tigers Jaw vocalist and guitarist Ben Walsh said.
Seahaven kicked off the night with fan favorites like “It’s Over” and music from their new album “Halo of Hurt,” which was released in 2020 after a nine-year hiatus. Open guitar pedals and melancholic melodies accompanied the soft but strong echoes of lead singer Kyle Soto.
Their set entranced the audience and allowed them to loosen up. It really was music for escapism, just like the title of their 2014 album, “Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism.”
Tigers Jaw took over the stage and opened with a heartfelt performance of “I Won’t Care How You Remember Me.” The crowd poured their hearts out and sang the lyrics back to the band at the top of their lungs.
The venue’s colorful stage lights illuminated Tigers Jaw member Brianna Collins’ face as she joined Walsh on vocals while on keyboard. Red and green lights around the stage flashed one by one, perfectly on beat to their song “Hum.”
The energy intensified as they strummed the first notes to “Slow Come On,” the crowd getting ready to open up a mosh pit. They rushed in when Teddy Roberts slammed on the drums during the bridge of the song.
Each person expressed their enjoyment of the music in their own way. Everyone followed respectful moshing etiquette, picking up whoever lost their balance, helping those crowd surfing safely make their way up to the front and overall created a community within the concert.
Alex Sanchez of Pomona was in the front center of the audience enjoying the show and moving with the crowd. He said the ambience was intense and highly energetic, but also really friendly.
“I feel like (Tigers Jaw’s) energy all around is really good and that’s why I love to see them all the time, no matter what song they choose because they bring up the room,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez said he is a fan of Seahaven as well, and their newest album “Halo of Hurt.” Their performance of “Halo” and “Moon” were his favorites from their set.
Amy Kleim, an audience member, said she is a fan of Tigers Jaw but flew down from Florida to see Seahaven.
“Harbor was amazing. It’s one of the singles from the new album, which is also amazing,” Kleim said. “Seeing it live was just goosebumps.”
She said she also attended night one of Tigers Jaw and Seahaven at the Glass House the night before but said this show’s crowd was even better.
“I knew most of the songs but even the ones I didn’t know, I was grooving to it,” Kleim said.
Amid all the crowdsurfing, moshing and dancing, NoCap Shows was capturing it all on video for people to watch from home on livestream.
Chief Content Officer Rob Anderson of NoCap Shows managed the sound mixing and five different cameras, including one down in the crowd and four others around the venue.
“We’re doing small, really intimate stuff and then we’re doing really huge big productions. And that’s kind of the NoCap thing. There’s no show that’s too small. There’s no show that’s too big,” Anderson said. “We’re just out there to really create that scene and get that energy going.”
Anderson said NoCap Shows started off when the pandemic hit and there was no audience.
“When the pandemic hit, we really wanted to keep bands going and keep people employed and be able to keep music and art flowing, especially while we were all sitting at home,” Anderson said.
“Now that we’re able to get back to a crowd, it’s so much more dynamic and interesting, the energy,” he added.
Anderson said the Glass House in particular had a vibrant atmosphere and allowed the band to connect with the audience really well.
Toward the end of the night, Collins shared an emotional moment and tears with the crowd. She said being able to tour again after so long was surreal.
The crowd brought out every drop of energy left in them for their last songs of the night, and of their tour.
“The band’s the real performance, they always pour their heart out on stage, but when there’s an audience, there’s a difference,” Anderson said. “It’s beautiful. Definitely a beautiful night.”
Anabel Martinez can be reached at anabel.martinez2@laverne.edu.
Anabel Martinez is a senior digital media major with a concentration in film and television, and a journalism minor. She serves as the managing editor overseeing all of the Campus Times sections and was previously editor-in-chief in Spring 2022.
Natalie Medrano, a junior photography major, is the Fall 2022 photography editor for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
