Copablog.

It was difficult to drag myself out of my house this weekend, what with 134 feet of snow hitting the greater Cleveland area (note: It may have been more like 6-8 inches), but tonight, I braved the cold (and my strange desire to watch the Golden Globes) to go see AP Tour veteran Sonny and his band, who were on tour with Innerpartysystem.

I got to the show and almost immediately ran into Sonny himself, and it was great to catch up for a few minutes. Regardless of what you've read online, Sonny told me that he's currently not signed to Atlantic Records, although that doesn't mean he won't be. (Another example of punk-gossip websites jumping the gun and not checking their sources...) He also told me that he's hoping to have his long-anticipated debut EP out this spring, with the follow-up full-length out this fall. I, for one, am stoked to finally get studio recordings of the songs I've been hearing the kid play live since last April.

But before Sonny went on, I was treated to a great set by atmospheric electro-pop quintet Paper Route. Their sound reminded me of a thicker, more synthetic version of Mute Math, with two vocalists and plenty of bells and whistles buried deep within their sound. I was feeling it, but unfortunately I didn't have enough cash on me to buy their EP. Alas, streaming audio will have to do for now...

I moved closer for Sonny's set, and was seriously blown away with how far he and his band have come since their AP Tour stint. The live lineup has ballooned to six people, and the songs have developed a strong aura of confidence and focus. Sonny radiated with energy onstage, bouncing through the set with reckless abandon, occasionally wailing on a free-standing bass drum set up next to him. He wasn't the only one doing this; I counted at least four free-standing bass drums onstage being played by various members of the band in almost every song. It's obvious Sonny has decided to make hone his music into being much more beat-driven and pulsating, almost like an organic version of a DJ's set at a nightclub. There was also a really dazzling light display set up behind drummer Sean Friday that looked like seven flourescent lights hanging lengthwise, but rotated quickly through a series of seven colors. It was very eye-catching and suited the music perfectly.

The best part about Sonny's set was that it reminded me why I enjoyed him so much on the AP Tour: He absolutely loves what he is doing. This is a kid who was on top of the screamo pile fronting From First To Last, and he walked away from all the fame to pursue what was in his heart, even though at the time, I don't even think he knew what was going to come out. Sonny's come incredibly far in the two years since he quit FFTL, and I for one can't wait to see what he's going to create in the future. Enough with the mindless hating already, message board trolls. It's time to realize Sonny Moore is really, really frickin' talented.