Rock is alive and well, and these three bands have proven so once again. While pop may be ruling the charts, underground is all rock territory. The first opening band, Relative Ash, hammered the attending rock-heads with intense metal. With songs like "Bounce" and "Pout," Relative Ash blew the audience away with emotion and intensity that would make Staind jealous.

Next came The Workhouse Movement, a rap/metal group from Detroit. This group was much more laid back than the previous one, but they rocked nonetheless. Tracks like "Keep the Sabbath Dream Alive" and "Livin' Evil" kept the heads banging and the pits moshing. M.C. Myron and Cornbread shot out lyrics, usually about Detroit, weed, and some references to lesbian sex, to the rhythm provided by drummer Joe. This was accompanied by bass guitarist Pete and the skillful guitar playing of Freedom, who sounded like the next Tom Morello. After an intense set full of some quality rap/metal, the band left with M.C. Myron jumping into the crowd and Cornbread throwing rinks into the ever-growing mosh pit. It was time for Kittie.

Just as the crowd began to get restless, the four Canadian rockers came on stage and immediately got the crowd going with "Suck," from their latest album, entitled Spit. The quartet's blend of hardcore and punk rock raised the entire crowd's intensity level up a notch. The security struggled to stop the body surfing, and yet band member Morgan Lander shouted for everyone to continue. After a set which included tracks like "Spit" and "Charlotte," Kittie left the crowd begging for more. After fifteen minutes of a non-stop chant, the band returned for two encores, at the end of which they all jumped into the crowd. As demonstrated by the three bands on the bill, rock is definitely alive, well, and ready to take back the spotlight.

Kittie / The Workhouse Movement

Bowery Ballroom

(New York, NY)

review by Gilad Goren