J-14 Editor Blog: We Are The In Crowd & Every Avenue in NYC

Hey J-14ers!

I was long overdue for a concert, but February 16 at the Highline Ballroom in New York City definitely made up for the wait. The five band lineup on the Every Avenue & We Are The In Crowd co-headlining tour was the perfect mix of jamming to some of my favorite songs and being exposed to new ones! I had never heard of the first two bands: Simple As Surgery and The Audition. Both were super into their sets and got a lot of love from the crowd. Check out "My Temperature's Rising" by The Audition. That song definitely stuck with me and will be making an appearance on my iPod soon!

Next up was Plug In Stereo and I was more than a bit excited to see these guys perform. I got the chance to meet them when they stopped by the J-14 office a few weeks ago to hang out and play a couple acoustic songs and was instantly hooked. I've listened to "Oh Darling" more times than I'll admit... it's so cute, I can't help myself! Well Trevor Dahl and the gang did not disappoint! They sounded just as good live as they do on their record and definitely gained some fans that night. My only complaint was that the set was too short! We got to say hi to Trevor after the show and tell him how great he was, as always. He's such a nice guy!

The audience was definitely psyched for the next act -- We Are The In Crowd! As soon as Tay Jardine and Jordan Eckes (who had visited the J-14 office that morning!) hit the stage, they had the whole venue moving -- and kept them going crazy their whole set. They gave off so much energy that even during songs I had never heard before, I couldn't help but rock out! I love their dual male and female vocals -- it's so unique and theatrical. Highlights included "Kiss Me Again" and their closer "Both Sides of the Story" -- I love their catchy hooks. This was WATIC's first night joining the tour (Tay told us she had bronchitis) and I know anyone who catches the duration of the tour will be grateful they are part of the lineup!

I've been a fan of Every Avenue ever since I heard "For Always, Forever" on a mix tape my sister left in the car and was really excited to see what they can do live. Although their songs can have a pop vibe, they definitely rocked hard on stage! They played a great set, including most of their songs from their album released this past summer, Bad Habits. The Every Avenue guys were loving the crowd and the audience was returning the love by belting out the hooks to songs like "Tell Me I'm a Wreck" and their single "Fall Apart." As I hoped, "For Always, Forever" live surpassed my expectations!

Your J-14 Intern, Steph