AVOID @ Mahalls (7/15/23)
After wrapping up a small tour in parts of the US and Canada, the band AVOID visited 3 more cities for small, intimate venues as their only headliner for the year. One of those is Mahall’s in Lakewood, which has different spots for concerts and a bowling alley people can visit. Saturday night AVOID was playing in Mahall’s apartment, about the size of an average living room above the main venue. This was a sold-out show, containing roughly less than 100 people. The shoulder room was non-existent but no one indeed seemed to mind. With the close proximity of the fans and band, everyone was able to interact with each other and create a more personal experience for the night.
The band, nor the fans, were afraid to get rowdy and there were moments of moshing and crowd surfing by the lead singer. AVOID performed an additional 3 songs for their encore, ending with their song ‘Song About James’ which is how I personally discovered them through the radio one day.
I appreciate seeing bands such as these guys really listen to the crowd and give them a night to remember. At the end of the show Benny, the lead singer, was at the merch table meeting everyone and expressing his gratitude for coming out. For now, there are no new tours that are known of, but we’re only halfway through the year so you never know. Their most recent album published is ‘Cult Mentality’ which can be played almost anywhere.
Photos and words by: Sami Butler
