Titus Andronicus at Bottom Lounge 9/28/2016

If you asked me who the top 5 live rock bands are, Titus Andronicus would be at the top of the list. They’ve impressed me every time I’ve seen them (last night was number 5). Through various changes in the lineup they’ve maintained the high standard of performance exemplified by frontman Patrick Stickles. The relationship between those on stage and those in the audience is one of the best I’ve been around, with the energy from the stage to the back of the room palpable and invigorating.

The show was rocking and rolling at a good clip for the first half, but at a certain point the crowd kinda took over and trying to take pictures became more of a chore than it was worth. Between the grad student elbowing me in the shoulder blade every two seconds (not on purpose) and the out of town account executive bumping into me with his sweat-drenched arms with every bass drum kick my body was taking a beating I couldn’t risk happening to the camera. There’s really nothing like being part of a crowd as Titus rips through “Four Score And Seven,” but it’s pretty difficult to capture in photographs.