In New York City it doesn't matter if it is Friday or Monday, on any given night there is something special going on, but if that something is free, it makes it even better. For Long Island post-hardcore legends, Glassjaw, their career has been an enigma over the years and fans have been fighting at any opportunity to see this iconic band at any chance they get, simply for the fact that they have no idea if and when they may play again. When Glassjaw announced just a few weeks ago they were doing a free gig in Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg for Converse Rubber Tracks Live series, the idea of something special and free in NYC just upped the ante.
Just before 10p.m., a packed Music Hall were anticipating the arrival of their heroes, as the minutes ticked, they walked down the steps from stage left and came onto their thrown. Opening with "Mu Empire," the floor erupted into a chaotic and frightening scene, but something that was expected. The band were playing so loud, singer Daryl Palumbo was forced to scream most of his lyrics hard and louder than ever just to be heard. With the crowd feeding off the energy of Palumbo sliding across the stage like a caged animal, the stage then became a waterfall of humanity as fans would jump on to jump off back into the crowd and dive one after the other with Palumbo kicking and pushing fans into the pit. Glassjaw have something to celebrate and something to be happy with, the band celebrate 20 years together this year and with a revolving door of musicians that have come and gone through the years and only two studio albums and a handful of EP's, they still are legends and still are popular now more than ever. The key to their success is the mystery that surrounds them, nearly every gig could be their last and nearly every gig is not something that happens all the time. With a minimal tour schedule, hardly any news of new material, fans eat up what they are serving whenever they are giving it. In the 70-minute set, they focused mainly on music from Warship and Tribute and their last two EP's Our Color Green and The Coloring Book. With a few throwbacks like "Pretty Lush" tossed into the mix, it was a show that will not be forgotten about for a long time. Especially with Palumbo becoming much more chatty and talkative with the audience. I have been following this band for about 14 years, growing up in Long Island and watching them play, this was the most I have seen Palumbo engage with the audience. With the chomping guitar work of Justin Beck and the brilliant jazz/hardcore sound of Manny Carrero's basslines, if this was a way to celebrate 20 years, they did it on a high note.