Straight from their crazy month-long tour with Alien Ant Farm, Tripside took the CBGB stage, delivered a brief “great to see you here” spiel courtesy of frontman/guitarist Ryan Siegel, then jumped right into a brand new guitar-driven blast. Although it marked my fourth time seeing Tripside, I still couldn’t shake the immediate impression I had when I first saw the band’s live show: “Damn, for such a thin-framed guy, Ryan has some powerful vocal chords!” Following the band’s opening song came another new one, “Say Goodbye,” which featured George DeHaven’s heavy drumming. For their third song, Tripside played the title track off their latest demo, Take You Home, followed by Ryan’s crooning in “Gone.”

This was definitely a different Tripside than the mediocre band I saw for the first time almost a year ago. The tunes off Take You Home are more creative and well- composed, which could be the reason why the boys chose not to play any songs from their first demo, the Tomorrow EP. Their interaction and presence on stage were more dynamic, and Ryan sounds like he’s been taking voice lessons: Holy High Notes at the end of “Wasting Time”!

With awesome guitar riffs handled by Ryan and guitarist Frankie Martinelli, Mike Sadis’ undeniable bass presence, and a concluding breakdown that left the audience thirsty for more, “Wasting Time” was the gem of the set. The band ended with “Fear of Falling,” yet another great new song which hints that the band has some promising work for their third demo, part of which has already been recorded in LA with Alien Ant Farm drummer Mike Cosgrove.

http://www.tripsidemusic.com