Barn Burning, Sharks Come Cruisin'
Jake's Bar and Grille in Providence, RI
May 17, 2008

We showed up to the show pretty damn late, walking in as Sharks Come Cruisin' were less than halfway through "Railroad" (which I later found out was only their third song. The crowd, mostly full of sailors, was in full force, singing along, raising their beers up high, dancing in their spots, and just flat out smiling. They played an overly energetic set, riling up the crowd like throwing sugar candy at children. The easels, featuring select lyrics, were very helpful as usual, adding to the sing along factor. Their onstage energy was high, featuring a lot of movement from the band members, led by frontman Mark Lambert, whose voice also stole the show. I saw probably about 45 minutes of their fun as a playground set, and they seemed like a tough act to follow up.

I'd only seen Barn Burning once, but I enjoyed them enough to pick up their album, which I stupidly never listened to. I was eager to hear them, but was left pretty disappointed. Everything they played seemed to be so slow, a set full of unneeded ballads that sucked the majority of the energy out of the room. I spent the majority of their set outside talking with some friends, waiting for their set to be over. I'd like to hear them pick things up a little more.

Written by: RF
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