It's Almost Summer Already? Q101 Jamboree 1998 Harvey Danger A Concert Review Next Up: Creed In Reverse: Ben Fold Five Or: From the Beginning	May 23, 1998 The New World Music Theatre Tinley Park, IL A Review and Photos by The Dude on the Right More Photos of Harvey Danger

So, there I am, really looking forward to seeing Harvey Danger, based on my liking their current radio hit, “Flagpole Sitta.”  It seemed like a really fun song, and should lend itself to being from a fun band, but the Harvey Danger boys just let me down, but I will say this, there is potential.

Maybe it was just me, because the mosh pit people did seem to be in full swing (although I doubt that would take much this day), but although Harvey Danger did have potential to get the crowd into a frenzy, it just didn’t seem to get anywhere.  The songs didn’t seem to have nearly the energy of their radio hit, and it seemed that the boys of the band couldn’t decide whether to do generic posing and jumping, or just go through the motions, although at times there were sparks, like when Sean Nelson, the lead singer dude, jumped down from the stage to the front of the crowd.  But, based on the following two things, I will cut the band a little slack.

First, I did read their little bio that was given to me as I entered the World Theatre at the beginning of the day.  It said how they really never toured, but instead have been working on songwriting and material for the last five years.  Alright, I give them credit for working on writing songs, but if you can’t bring them to life at a live show, well, you’re only winning half the battle.  But, I’ll cut them a break on not having the stage presence based on their self-proclaimed lack of experience.

Second, I’ll cut the boys of Harvey Danger another break based on the genuine looking concern that Sean exhibited two songs into the set.  As mosh pits will go, they sometimes get dangerous, sometimes people get over-exhausted, and you sometimes see things you don’t really expect, like a kid being pulled from the pit, into the open area in front of the stage, and having to be carried out, looking unconscious.  As a bystander you have no idea what is wrong, but hope it’s just exhaustion.  In any case, that’s just what happened during song two of Harvey Danger’s set.  As sometimes scary as it is to see someone being carried from a mosh pit, what caught my eye was that even though Sean kept singing, he watched as this kid was carried around the stage, and was still singing as he  turned from the audience, trying to see if the kid was alright.  For a change from some singers I’ve seen, he seemed to care.

Now, yes, I was really disappointed in Harvey Danger, and will cut them some of those breaks, but performance is the name of my game, and I’m giving Harvey Danger A SHRUG.  Now, before all of you Harvey Danger fans start sending me all kinds of hate e-mail, I will say this – they deserve another chance, and I hope to give it to them next time they make it through Chicago.  I’m fair like that, but this time it’s a Shrug.  It would have been less had Sean just had the attitude of “another one bites the dust,” but I think it that personality of caring for the audience that after they get a little more stage time, well, they might be able to get to the next level.
 

The Bands
The Main Stage	The Second Stage
Spacehog Ben Folds Five Creed Scott Weiland Barenaked Ladies Soul Asylum Foo Fighters	Fastball Eve 6 Harvey Danger They Might Be Giants The Specials