Photos and words by Samantha Skapin

Last week I had the chance to head over to Rumba Cafe in Columbus to check out local band Mister Moon play their EP release show. They had great local openers which included Betsy Ross and Playing To Vapors.

Betsy Ross opened up the show at a pretty packed Rumba, and completely killed it. Seeing as I have just moved to the area, I’m not well-versed in the local acts in the area yet, so I was floored when I heard their first song. The vocalist Charity Crowe, has an incredible raspy voice that mixes well with their feel-good garage band vibes. They played an incredible set, which included a lot off of their 2015 release, Dead Wild, as well as Charity doing a solo cover of “Escape (The Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes (which she of course killed). I’m definitely excited to hear more from these guys, as well as hopefully catch them live again! Be sure to check out their release Dead Wild as well!

Next up was Playing To Vapors, a big local band here in Columbus.It seemed as though the crowd was incredibly pumped for these guys as well, the room growing more packed than it already was. Before their set, I was assured from the big man at Tuned Up himself (none other than Ryan Getz, of course) that these guys were going to be great, and boy was Ryan right. The five piece progressive rock band brought amazing and intricate guitar lines and rhythms right off the bat. Lucas Harris, the vocalist, has an impressive vocal range that reminds me somewhat of Brandon Boyd of Incubus and mixes well with their groovy instrumental. They played songs such as “The Perfect Weapon In Human Form”, and “Switchblade” off of their newest release, Shred The Master Design. As always Ryan Getz knows good music, so definitely don’t sleep on these guys, because honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t blown up at this point. Be sure to check out Shred The Master Design as well, because I haven’t been able to put it down.

Last up were the honored guests of the night, Mister Moon. Tonight they were celebrating the release of their first EP, Point One, which members of the band as well as the crowd were excited for. Mister Moon is based out of North Central Ohio, and consists of four members. I had a chance to hang out with these guys before the show and they were an incredibly humble and entertaining group.  Seth Bain bassist, vocalist, and keyboardist of the group (also formerly from Nick D and the Believers, another great Ohio based band) describes the latest lineup of the group fairly new, but to me, the latest lineup sound like veterans to the scene. They sound to me almost like a mix between Foals, Local Natives, and Polyenso (the ultimate recipe for a killer band) so I was of course on board from the moment I heard one of their songs.

Not sure how many times I’ve listened to Point One at this point (maybe 80?), but the group sounds coherent with their sound, lyrics, and overall message and I can’t seem to stop listening. These guys not only put out an incredible EP, but they also put on a fantastic show at Rumba Cafe. With incredible vocals by Tommy Christian, as well as profound drum parts from both Cory Boomer and Cory Webb, it’s hard not to be pulled in by their performance no matter where you are in the venue.  Seeing as it was their EP release show, they of coursed, played the EP in full, such as songs as “Waste” and “Peer” as well as a couple of older songs and absolutely killed it. It was incredible to see the crowd get so into these guys during their late night set, because they deserve every ounce of success and more. I have a feeling you’re going to be hearing a lot from and about Mister Moon in the future, so be sure to check them out live and listen to their EP Point One, so you’re prepared.