Forever the Sickest Kids on April 11th at The Pageant, Saint Louis

Plastic guns blazing, Forever the Sickest Kids took the stage.  They opened their set with an "old western" skit, behind them a cartoon  illustration of all members of FTSK riding horses in a 'shoot-em-up' scene.  It was a playful start to a powerful set.

Overall, FTSK sounded much cleaner than the last time I saw them at Pop's a few months ago.  Whether this was due to the actual sound in the venue or just playing tighter I am not sure.  The volume level was great, as it wasn't the kind of my-ears-are-bleeding-loud that has probably attributed to the partial loss of my hearing!

Lead vocalist Jonathan Cook's preferred thrashing movements on stage don't always agree with his corded microphone, luckily he had a roadie whose sole purpose was to un-tangle the mic.  They played fan favorites from both their first EP "Television Off, Party On" and their debut album "Underdog Alma Mater."  These included "Hey Brittany", "My Worst Nightmare", "The way she moves", "Breakdown", "Becky Starz", "Believe me I'm lying", "Whoa oh!", "She's a Lady" and "I don't know about you but I came to dance."  It was a decent length set, but I found myself saying "ahh already, they just started!" when they left the stage.  

FTSK drummer Kyle Burns, with his bleach blonde hair and Hannah Montana tee, was amusing to watch.  Because he plays by most standards, a smaller set, he is very visible on stage.  He drives the six piece group well though, intense and creative.  Do you remember Jim Henson's Muppets from Sesame Street? Burns reminds me of "Animal" the crazy monster drummer in the Muppets band, mostly in the way he moves and plays wildly.  But of course I mean this as a complement, after all, "Animal" was inspired by Keith Moon (famed drummer of The Who).

I am really looking forward to seeing the six guys again on Tuesday, May 19 at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO.  They will be playing with The White Tie Affair, The Audition, A Rocket to the Moon and Friday Night Boys.

In the two photos, lead vocalist Jonathan Cook is mobbed by young fans with requests to put his John Hancock on anything from Vans slip on shoes to ticket stubs from the show.