Transcendent Events presented a sold-out night at the Metro Gallery in Baltimore on February 11th. A total of five local bands: Without The Accent, Evil Like You, Go On Red, Redacted, and Heartbent - played their hearts out that night. All five bands played as if it was their last night to live. I had the privilege of taking photos of the bands before they went to rock the stage. Both Heartbent and Redacted were thrilled to see so many people show up to the show; tears were surely shed by the end of the night. I definitely shed a few once I was alone in my car.
By the end of the night, emotions were running high, and for others, the night wasn’t close to being over.
In the beginning, I was out of my element. I had counted three anxiety attacks and an episode of overthinking before entering the venue. Yet, all the overthinking and worry went away after officially meeting the band members of Redacted and Heartbent in person. While working closely with Redacted and especially Heartbent, I learned that not only do they write and play songs that I would blast on the highway after a rough day at work, but they’re also amazing people with big dreams. Both bands made me feel comfortable and unknowingly encouraged me to involve myself more with the Baltimore music scene.
Redacted was the fourth band to perform. The very second they hit the stage it was as if everyone in the room had entered a new world. The crowd went feral when the music began to play, it was so loud that it had everyone’s feet vibrating; that did not stop the audience from moshing in the middle of the room though. No, it only encouraged them. Redacted interacted with the crowd throughout their set, even joining them several times while they performed. I still haven’t decided what was more entertaining while watching Redacted perform their set -- the jumpsuit that had “Ass” written on one of the band member’s butt or the teddy bear wrapped around the microphone that was thrown all over the place.
Heartbent was the final band to perform, and it was worth the long wait. I stood shoulder to shoulder with the people in the crowd; I had strangers rushing behind me, pushing me against the stage eager to touch the hands of Heartbent. That’s not even including the mosh pit that happened two steps behind me. While watching Heartbent perform, I couldn’t decide what I loved more about their epic performance -- the glitter on Alex’s and Elle’s faces, the lighting that was almost too perfect, or their eagerness to please the sold-out crowd. Their performance ended on a high note with the crowd singing the Happy Birthday song to the bass player, Elle Saulsbury.
By the end of the long and heart-pumping night, the crowd left happy with voices lost, several bruises, and more than likely a bloody nose. As for Heartbent and Redacted, they left Metro Gallery with a smile on their face and in need of a shower after performing a set that would be always remembered by everyone in attendance. There was no doubt in the air that everyone would be purchasing their next ticket to see both local bands live again. I for one already added their next show to my calendar.
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