Never in a million years would I picture myself on the front lawn of the famous ATO Fraternity house on the beautiful campus of University of Central Florida. However, their annual Rock the Reef concert featured my all time favorite band, Just Surrender, so I put my differences aside and gave the frat bro's a chance. Let me just say that I give those guys props- that was one bad ass show. Here is my image of fraternity brothers: a group of meat headed, douche baggy guys just getting drunk and banging chicks. On the contrary, the boys of ATO completely changed my opinion: they rocked out and took part in stage dives and mosh pits. Plus they made sure all females were safe amongst the rowdiness. Insane.
That aside, Just Surrender blew my mind (as they have in the past). This five-piece band out of Poughkeepsie, New York got together back in 2003. Over the years there have been member changes and a whole lot of musical growth. Their debut album, If These Streets Could Talk, hit stores in 2005. They were featured on MTV's You Heard It First that year, boosting their fan base across America. Despite not-so-great reviews (critic Christopher Felton described them as "unfortunately nothing more than a half-decent attempt at copying the work of far more superior bands"), the band released a sophomore album, We're in Like Sin, in 2007. Shortly after, the band released a four song EP, Stronger Now, and passed them out at Warped Tours around the country. Their albums are great, but to really get a feel for this band, seeing them live is a must. Just Surrender has toured with bands like Autopilot Off (fellow New Yorkers), Bayside, My American Heart, TheStart, Cartel, Hawthorne Heights, Matchbook Romance, The Early November, Armor for Sleep, The Classic Crime, The Audition, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Every Avenue, Set Your Goals and Powerspace.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2009.