All photos courtesy of Andrew Fellure

When I first heard that Relient K was playing the 600 person capacity room that is Skully’s Music Diner (and that’s in its packed to the gills mode) I couldn’t believe it. Logically, I suppose it makes sense. The promotion team that is Celebrity, Etc has strong connections to both bands, to say the least. So a Celebrity, Etc led event combining these two forces in Ohio rock was probably inevitable.

House of Heroes powered through a solid hour of old and new favorites, choosing (interestingly enough) “In the Valley of the Dying Sun” as the set opener. The musicianship was on point from the get go, even if the sound mix made it a tad difficult to hear Tim Skipper’s vocals at times. Eric Newcomer maintained a humble stage presence on lead guitar while Colin Rigsby nonchalantly lent his drumming and vocal skills, flawlessly in sync. “Mateo” Lott, flown in from Albuquerque, rounded out things on bass while offering his now trademark goofy stage banter. Other set highlights included the always fun “Out My Way,” the Muse-inspired “Remember the Empire” and “God Save the Foolish Kings” with Tim’s newlywed wife Stephanie on background vocals for the call/answer portions of the tune. Oldie and deep cut from Say No More “Angels In Top Hats” ended in the set in an unconventional way, much like its start.

Relient K powered through an hour and a half of songs, scarcely stopping for banter. The group played as a four piece. I couldn’t tell who was at the helm of the drums or bass, but Matt Theissen and Matt Hoopes, aka the members that most fans would care about, were present. “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” opened the set which contained cuts from every Relient K full length. We even got a Christmas song, “Sleigh Ride.” The biggest treat for long time fans was undoubtedly the appearance of “Hello McFly” from the band’s self-titled album. This event was momentous enough to warrant a tweet from Everyday Sunday’s Trey Person, who was apparently present at the show. Personally, I very much enjoyed getting to hear “Chapped Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry,” “High of 75” (ironically enough) and “Forget and Not Slow Down.” The main set ended with “Savannah” – one of the more quirky songs in the Relient K catalog while the encore ended more predictably with “Be My Escape.”

I love going to see new bands live, but there’s sometimes something awesome about being in a room full of several hundred fans that are all thinking the same thing… “I love this song! Oh, I love THIS song! This one is cool too.” This was the spirit that encapsulated the Relient K/House of Heroes show most accurately.