If you have been sleeping on checking out Algorhythm, do not wait any longer. This newly formed supergroup made up of Trevor Young of SOJA, Kevin Offitzer of Stick Figure, and Kyle Wareham of Three Legged Fox is on the rise quickly. Go read our previous articles and interview with Trevor, right here on The Pier to learn more about the guys.
With a debut album still in the works, and only four singles released, Algorhythm had enough hype to bring in over nine hundred people to their recent show at Three Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg, Florida. This was the first show the band had played together since their Reggae Rise Up Florida weekend sets back in March, but the energy was electric. I knew this show was going to be something special, so much so that I flew from New Jersey to Florida just to be there.
The night before the show, I was lucky enough to be at Algorhythm’s rehearsal. During the couple of hours I was there, the band was working to fill their set time for the following evening. Even with only a small amount of original music, I have still seen the guys play a decent length performance by including covers of SOJA, Three Legged Fox, and other artists. Brandon Pescrille, the band’s manager, said the show set would be ninety minutes, which definitely pleasantly surprised me. Wow! That is a very long set for a new band, even sometimes for a band that has been playing together for years. My guess for timing was between forty-five minutes to an hour, but I would listen to these guys play all night if I could. I knew the decision to come down to Florida for this was definitely the right one!
The evening of the show, I spoke to Kevin Offitzer prior to the band taking the stage and tried to push for Trevor to cover Lizzo as he had at a previous show I attended. Thinking these guys may need some help filling a ninety-minute set, I thought that song would be a good idea. Really, I just wanted to hear that magic again. Kevin told me not to worry, they had the set time filled and would be bringing out some surprise songs, and boy did they ever!
Ten minutes before start time, I made my way to center stage front, as I am an avid rail rider. Waiting for the band to come out, I watched increasingly more and MORE people crowd in. By the time Algorhythm took the stage, I turned around to see the entire venue was at capacity, jam-packed shoulder to shoulder with fans. Opening the set with “Good Life,” their first single and my personal favorite, Algorhythm set the tone for the night with epic vibes and incredible music. Along with their original songs, Trevor sang plenty of SOJA hits while Kyle crooned his melodic Three Legged Fox tunes. The energy was explosive as the band performed “Lost Cause” for the first time live, Algorhythm’s newest single released that very same day. This song features Trevor on lead vocals and he slays it. Just when I thought the energy could not get higher, the guys covered Stick Figure’s “Choice is Yours,” one of my favorite songs of all time. By the sound of the roaring crowd, a lot of people agreed with me that this was pretty damn amazing. Kyle jammed the vocals on this one, but surprise of the night, Kevin Offitzer sang the feature in this song, which was originally done by Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid. Who knew he could flow so good!?!? Kevin, where have you been this whole time? Stick needs to give you more vocals!
Speaking of Stick Figure, as I was thinking my heart was already so full and the vibes could not be better, Trevor introduced a brand-new unreleased track, “Black Lights.” Produced by the one and only Scott Woodruff himself, this song is mind blowing! Kyle sings lead on vocals on this track, but if I was not looking, I might think this was actually Stick Figure playing. Holy shit this song is phenomenal! You can definitely hear Scott’s influence on this one, and I cannot wait for the song to be officially released because I am going to jam it twenty-four-seven!
Unfortunately, at some point, this unbelievable night had to end. Yet, only after Algorhythm played not one, but two encore sets! Including a song I was eagerly awaiting all night, the band’s hit “You Haven’t Called,” which is even more impressive live. The band seamlessly transitions the live version of this song into a breakdown of Trevor singing Bob Marley’s hit, “Exodus” and you need to see it to know how amazing it is. With super high energy, they covered “Bomb Track” by Rage Against the Machine in reggae style, who even knew that was possible? We also got treated to Trevor showing us his rapping skills singing Tupac’s “California Love.”
The genuine happiness you see on the band’s faces while they are playing is contagious. No matter the set or location, any Algorhythm show is guaranteed to be a awe-inspiring experience. These guys do not play live a lot, which I hope will change in the near future, but if you hear of a show in your area, do not miss it. Hey, even if they are not in your area, check them out! I traveled over a thousand miles to see Algorhythm play live after falling in love with them back in March during Reggae Rise Up Florida, and it was undoubtedly worth the journey!
Live Review & Photos By Kelly Graham
