Burn City Burn Does Just That!

I recently attended the 4th annual GHS Stars in their eyes talent show. In a capacity crowd, I discovered why this was so popular and so impressive. With 18 acts ranging from pianists to glow sticks to rock-your-socks-off bands, every act that hit the stage just thrilled me.

Some of the acts I knew already, like Brittany Fullwood who performed an original song entitled "November," Lindsay Lewis, who performed a wonderful version of "Unchained Melody," Brooke Bagwell, who sang an enchanting song dedicated to her boyfriend, or Burn City Burn, who I became a fan of at the fall choir concert.

And I will acknowledge my bias here: I was rooting for the band. I wanted to see the boys rock out on the stage, and well, they did not disappoint.

I had a chance to speak to TJ and Jackie about the band earlier in the week, just to get an idea of the sound they were going for. I had only heard them perform "Sugar, We're Goin' Down," by Fall Out Boy, of which I was a huge fan. So when they told me they were performing an original piece, I was floored.

Allow me to digress for a moment. The one thing I found so mesmerizing about the talent show and the kids performing was that a third of the 18 acts performing had presented an original piece for the audience. For so many acts to have original pieces, it's jarring and inspiring. Particularly for someone who comes from the talent shows likes of people doing bad impressions of Steve Martin (you know who you are!).

At one point I was convinced that the high school may burst into flames for all the creative minds gathered in one space. I was speechless. I still have difficulty discussing the evening here in this column. It is as if I have been touch by something otherworldly, something heavenly, that rests somewhere, stirring, in my soul.

I am in awe.

But yes, I was biased. Thankfully I was just there to take photographs. Though if truth be known, I had trouble doing that, because I kept getting pulled into the musical acts, wanting to bob my head or dance. I just could not remember to take photographs.

For those who have not had the pleasure of listening to Burn City Burn, they call their sound happy, hard core music, which personally, I find underestimating.

The band has an ecclectic sound, which is reminiscent to me of the early days of Nirvana, mixed with a slight poppy sound of the revisited 80s music and a dash of good old heavy metal thrown in for good measure. They've got the edge and they've got the infectious hooks that makes everyone want to get out of their seats.

I have seen TJ McArthur, Jackie Collins, DJ Richey and Myles Priest play before, and I knew they were good then. The crowd knew it too. Burn City Burn not only won first place in the school's talent show, but they were awarded the People's Choice award as well.

Yet, watching them performing an original song "Looking for a friend in a needle stack," I was completely star struck. The group is complete, presenting a sound that seemingly has been molded for years. They are daring to be great. And guys, I really look forward to owning your CDs one day.

And yes, they are available for gigs!