The Veer Union bring 10 Years of rock music to The Firmament

The Veer Union at The Firmament in Greenville South Carolina

By: Michael Bragg (Photo Gallery & Gallery) of MJBragg Photography

Greenville, SC (April 5th, 2019) – Tonight’s show at The Firmament consists of Canadian rock band The Veer Union who are currently out on their “10 Year Anniversary Tour” in support of their newest album release “Decade II.” Support acts for the show were local bands Anonymous Concept and Finding Freedom.

Finding Freedom – Copyright: Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

Finding Freedom kicked things off for the evening. Having seen these guys perform at The Firmament during a Battle of The Bands recently it was nice to see the winners opening for a national act. These guys have a sound all their own they self describe as “Rock in Denial.” With a high energy stage presence and song structures that vary in dynamics the band kept the crowd entertained throughout their set. With captivating enthusiasm you could see Finding Freedom is a band of friends who truly enjoy what they do. As a local musician myself it is nice to see a young group with such drive, motivation and originality.

Anonymous Concept – Copyright: Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

Next up came Anonymous Concept who have quickly become local favorites. Michael Whitt (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Greg Belcher (Bass/Vocals) and Bryan Hudson (Drums) are no strangers to the big stage having supported other national acts like Wayland, Shallow Side, Bobaflex and Framing Hanley. With a loyal fan base in attendance the trio played songs like, “Forever Strangers” and “FYI” from their debut EP titled “Testify.” Sporting their stage attire of black slacks, black button up shirts and white ties it was only fitting that the group performed a rocked up cover of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” before performing a version of Chris Issak’s “Wicked Game” as well. For a three piece rock group Anonymous Concept does a great job at providing a full sound that continues to draw in new fans.

The Veer Union – Copyright: Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

A common thread through out the night was the joking banter amongst the band members and those in attendance. This continued as The Veer Union began into their set. Having driven nearly 30hrs from Colorado and recovering from recent sickness the band arrived to a crowd that may not have been what was expected. Smaller attendance is something I’d normally not mention but in this case I feel inclined to. A lesson I learned long ago being a musician myself is that you perform just as hard (if not harder) for a small crowd as you do a packed out venue. The Veer Union did just that holding nothing back. Performing an array of songs from their decade long catalog current line up of Crispin Earl (Lead Vocals), Ryan Ramsdell (Guitar/Vocals), Dan Sittler (Guitar/Vocals) and Ricardo Viana (Drums) played through songs like “Wish You Well” from the “Time To Break The Spell” album and “Seasons” from “Against The Grain.” The bands demanding stage presence is something I believe more groups should strive for. Constant energy and movement kept you looking back and forth from member to member to see what each was doing.

Mid set there were some drum issues that needed to be fixed. With Ricardo taking a break to resolve the problem the remaining three played a stripped down version of “My Shadow” that showcased Crispin’s vocal abilities. Engaging the crowd Crispin then asked those in attendance for a vote…”next song, broke down or rocked.”

“Broke Down” won with group doing “Stolen” as another stripped down version.

The Veer Union – Copyright: Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

The band kicked things back up playing “Living Not Alive” where Crispin spoke about the songs meaning. Mentioning how people are so detached now days living life through social media and cell phones instead of engaging in personal relationships with others. The group went on to close the show with a special tribute to the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park starting off amedley with “Numb.”

Throughout The Veer Union’s set their was plenty of laughter and personal moments with the crowd and stories from the road. Crispin mentioned several times the groups thanks for the ones who showed up to rock out stating that for the size of the crowd everyone sure was loud making it feel like a packed out room and very welcomed.

I mention the smaller crowd, against my better judgement, for a reason. A band that has been playing for 10yrs could’ve come out, played their songs and walked off. The Veer Union instead embraced the moment giving the fans what they wanted but making it a more personal, intimate setting by taking a few requests, telling stories you normally wouldn’t get to heat and an extended set. I’ve liked this band for a long time and they definitely gained even more respect for this evenings performance and the time they took after the show to stand around just mingling with everyone, even taking time to pass around a phone talking to fan who could not make the show. The Veer Union is a band that cares as much about the people who support them as they do their music and it shows.

If you missed the show this time I strongly urge you to attend their Charlotte, NC appearance on May 19th at Amos’ Southend.

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Copyright – Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography

The Veer Union

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