Cousin Simple Rocks Sold-Out Show At The Basement in Columbus Ohio

The phrase “Sold-Out Show” and Cousin Simple seem to go together a lot these day in Columbus, OH. For an alt-pop-rock band that has only been together a few years, it’s a testament to their talent as rising stars on the local scene.

The show on Saturday night starts off with opening act Klashing Black from Fostoria, Ohio who begin by warming up the crowd with their punchy synth-pop tunes. They get the kids in the pit area swaying with their hands in the air and everyone is in great spirits.

At the entrance, the line starts to get longer as more people file in. Then, rock band The Dead Licks from Chicago begin their set. These guys start off slow, building up the momentum to some really intense rock guitar solos and amazing extended jams that that put the crowd in a head-bobbing trance. I had to smile when the first chords of Alive by Pearl Jam went up, it fit right into the heavy groove of the set.

And now we wait for Cousin Simple – 5 young guys with such exceptional talent as performers that once you see them live you become an instant fan. Cousin Simple are Harsh Hoag on vocals, Ryan Ulibarri on lead guitar, Luke Hamrock on rhythm guitar, Mitch Whitaker on bass and keyboard and Joel Lorenz on drums. Harsh, Ryan, Luke and Mitch all attend The Ohio State University while the newest member Joel is still in high school. Fun fact – Harsh, Ryan, Luke and Mitch turned down acceptances and scholarships to other colleges across the country in order to keep the band together. Now that’s dedication folks. Why not keep the momentum going? The guys have already released one album And We Would Never End (2017), won a local band contest – Instaband 2017, placed 2^nd in the High School Rock-Off 2018 which earned them a slot on the Warped Tour at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH last year. They recently released 2 singles “Honeybee,” produced by multi-platinum producer David Kershebaum (Duran, Duran, Tori Amos, Bryan Adams) and “Star Destroyers.”

The room is getting hotter with so many bodies pushing forward, trying to get a good viewing spot around the barricades and the stairs that lead to the pit area. The pit is crammed full of teenagers getting antsy and adjusting their phones for video mode. Then the guys walk onto the stage and waste no time opening the set with the very song we are here to celebrate – “Star Destroyers”, which has been getting airplay on local independent radio station cd102.5. The young fans crush as far forward as far as they can, trying to reach out and make physical contact with the band.

These guys have a powerful stage presence with Harsh, teasing the crowd, getting right into their faces, strutting around like a young Mick Jagger. Then he goes full blown punk rock, manically crashing to the ground only to bounce back up to sneer wildly at the front row.

Ryan completely thrashes his guitar, diving onto the floor or in the air. Both Luke and Mitch take turns energetically engaging with the crowd while Joel keeps the beat steady and strong. As is true of every Cousin Simple show I have attended, the kids know all the words to all the songs as if this was a chart-topping band of the arena-touring sort. They are very loyal to these guys and you can hear them clearly. On this night, they happily sing along to their favorites like “Detroit”, “Song To Emma”, “Son Of A Gun”, my favorite “Hide And Seek.” Then the guys slow the tempo down briefly for “Nothing Sweeter”, as the kids turn on their cell phone flashlights and sway the the song.

It’s not long before Cousin Simple ramps up the intensity again as they plunge into an amazing cover of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” Although the older members of the crowd belt out the lyrics with gusto, the teens look lost lyrically and instead pogo and fist pump to the song as Harsh leans into the crowd, urging them on till the end. They leave the stage but are immediately brought back with the crowd loudly chanting “En-Core, En-Core!” They end the night with a confetti bomb, and the song “Rockstar.”

The guys line up, arm in arm to thank the crowd. When they bow as a group, the fans nearly drag them into the pit, trying to hug them! You gotta love the adoration of their peers for putting on yet another killer show..till the next one. What a night!

Cousin Simple are playing a lot of shows this summer, I highly recommend seeing one if you get a chance. You can visit them online here: www.cousinsimple.com for show dates and more.

The show was presented by CD102.5’s Frontstage, hosted by PromoWest Productions

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