When I first found out Pop Evil was coming to The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey on November 4 for their Flesh & Bone Tour, I knew immediately I wanted to cover their performance, even if it was going to take a three hour drive for me to get there. I had been a fan for a while, but this would be my first time seeing them perform live, so I was definitely hoping their live show would be as energetic, fun, and powerful as their songs.

Pop Evil opened their set with the hard hitting “Paranoid,” and the crowd went nuts. The band was giving it their all. The crowd was cheering. Everything was sounding and feeling amazing. And then, that’s where our coverage mostly ended. Right after the first song, security came to the photo pit and told all of us the band wanted the photographers to leave. We were surprised and confused, as standard is three songs, but we all picked up our gear and exited without a fuss.

Unfortunately, I was also no longer allowed to stand where I had been previously standing when not in the pit, so I was now at the back of the room after the first song. Because of that, I can’t really tell you much about what happened on stage or how the audience was reacting to the performance. I know Pop Evil did play a few of my favorite songs, notably “Work” and “Let the Chaos Reign,” and the audio quality on those was good from where I was standing. I did see a few audience members dancing, but mostly in the area where I was standing people were just drinking their beer and calmly listening. And as much as I wish I could tell you more, that’s all I know, because that’s all I saw.  

Review & Pix: I’m Music Magazine Photographer Amanda Packey