Elliot Minor - Astoria 2
Elliot Minor has gone from five choirboys to pop rocker teens to full fledge rock star men. It is very hard to believe a band that have only been around since April this year and released three singles could sell out the Astoria 2, but sure enough, these lads have done it.
The show kicked off in the most intense, explosive and suspense driven way I have seen possible, and with a track they are well know for; 'Jessica', the lads second single. What followed in the next hour could be the most fulfilled extravaganza the venue has experienced since its rename.
Elliot Minor may be classically trained but on this night they were surprisingly able to fuse together a mix of classical and rock music. There were upbeat tracks that got both the guys on stage and the crowd jumping and bounding with excitement and anticipation, such as 'Running away' to the more soulful ballad types; it was great to see the lads trying something different. Alex joined Ali on keys at one point making the tracks stand out and with some great harmonies compared to what the charts are offering.
The track 'Time after time' gave Elliot Minor the opportunity to show off not only their vocal and musical talent but also their lyrical ability; "Another day, waking to the same old beat/Counting doors, walking through the same old street/Breathing in, breathing out the same/Nothings changed, just imitating yesterday", the fans knew the words to every track. As well as raising the volume and excitement level with tracks such as the recent release 'The white one is evil', the guys also gave the crowd a taste of what to expect from the upcoming debut, out early next year.
Flashing red lights were very effective in driving everyone nuts, not only as they worked perfectly with the rock music but also successfully raised the pressure in the room. Mix this element with two electric guitars, a bass, drums, keys and five very energetic and very talented young men singing and playing their hearts out to 'Last call to NYC'; and you have an outstanding way to rise the bar towards the end. The best way to please your fans is to hit them when they least expect it and think it's all over with your most popular, most energetic and "give it your all" track you have. Elliot Minor did just this when their encore consisted of their debut single 'Parallel Worlds'. The crowd was unstoppable and the band gave one of their most amazing performances.
They may have had a few hiccups throughout the show but musically, vocally and energetically these young men, as well as the fans they were playing for, had one hell of a night. I'm sure Alex wouldn't complain about the way he spent his 21st birthday – what a bash!