REVIEW: B&D’s Melee Hall Grand Opening Show, April 25, 2015

B&D’s Melee Hall, Muncie’s new all ages venue, held their grand opening show last Friday, on April 25, from 6 p.m. to midnight. Melee Hall hosted a full house and the performances were nothing short of impressive.

The night opened with For This We Exist, a progressive/rock band from Alexandria, Indiana. This group played a few of their songs, including “Your Moment” and “Revenge Is A Four Letter Word.”

Broadcast City performed next, a relatively new metalcore group from Muncie, Indiana. With their debut performance only a couple months ago, this band is turning heads with their fresh sound and contagious energy.

Third to take the stage was Muncie’s very own Archives, performing popular songs, such as “Ultimatum” and “Unwelcome.” During their set, frontman Elijah Dale announced that it would be their last live performance of their hit song “Unwelcome.” Taking full advantage of the situation, fans rallied and created an unforgettable farewell to the song- for both band and fans alike. According to the band, that set was their best performance to date and resulted in a memory that no one will soon forget.

Taking the stage next was Hell Came Home, a band established in 2013 in Muncie. The heavy metal sound radiated throughout the room- causing an electric performance. This band attracted an audience of all ages, including younger children who didn’t hesitate to rock out.

Inheritors, a melodic metal/hardcore band from Eaton, Indiana was next in the line up. After a couple lineup changes, the band was back and ready to impress for the first time in over six months. The group performed their brand new song, “Carrier”, while vocalist Buddy Geesaman showered the crowd with the band’s merchandise. Inheritors did not disappoint, proving to the Muncie scene that they’re back and better than ever.

Hailing from Indianapolis, newly signed Victory Records rock/alternative/punk powerhouse Foreveratlast, was sixth to perform at the show. Vocalist Brittany Paris never ceases to impress her fans with her combination of both clean and unclean vocals. The band played several songs, including “Demon Fighter.”

Cincinnati native band All My Friends Are Dead brought the evening to a close. The melodic metal group performed fan favorites “Waypoints” and “Identity”, keeping energy high and concluding the night on a good note.

B&D’s Melee Hall grand opening was an overwhelming success with excellent performances and an even better audience attendance and energy. B&D’s next show is this Friday, May 1, 2015. The show will be a fundraiser for Mayhem in Muncie 3, a festival featuring hardcore and metalcore local bands scheduled for late May. If you enjoyed the grand opening show, I would strongly suggest coming out for this show too! Not only is it for a good cause, but a great chance to hear more hard working and talented bands! Support your local scene, come jam!

For more high quality photography from your favorite local shows, check out Errick X Easterday on Facebook!

Photo: Foreveratlast, by Errick X Easterday

Written by Chelsea Renee Scofield

Edited by Lina Olsauskas

B&D’s Melee Hall, all ages concert venue set to open in April

The Muncie alternative music scene is alive and strong, and a large number of local bands from the area and surrounding areas are always looking for new venues to perform and expand their fan base. Thanks to the hard work of two musicians who are very familiar with the Muncie alternative music scene, a new concert venue is scheduled to open its doors for the first time in April.

B&D’s Melee Hall, located on 900 W. 8^th St., Muncie, Ind., is the first all ages venue in Muncie to cater to the Muncie alternative music scene. On Feb. 11, an official announcement was made on the venue’s Facebook page that the grand opening would be on April 25, 2015 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The admission fee is going to start out on a minimal $5 donation.

“A primary all ages venue will strengthen the scene here a lot, and will finally give people a place to go where they feel at home. It’ll also make way for a new, younger crowd, because parents won’t have to worry about their kids going to a show at a venue that’s partially a bar,” said Trae Roberts, vocalist for Oceans Grey and bassist for Archives, two of Muncie’s popular local bands.

The grand opening will feature artists including All My Friends Are Dead, Inheritors, Archives, Hell Came Home, For This We Exist, Broadcast City, and Indianapolis local band now signed to Victory Records, Foreveratlast.

Buddy Geesaman, vocalist of Inheritors and good friend David Waudby are the co-owners of B&D’s Melee Hall. Both of the owners live in Eaton, Ind. but have a strong connection to the Muncie alternative music scene.

“I wanted to open the venue due to the fact that we have no venue dedicated to all ages. I wanted to bring a safe, alcohol and drug-free place for our younger fans,” said Geesaman.

“I was inspired to open the venue because of my love of music and being able to help the younger kids, or those who are interested in playing or just having a place to see live music,” said Waudby.

After launching the venue Facebook page in early February, the owners have received a large amount of positive feedback and support from friends, family, and other musicians and listeners. The page received over 330 likes within the first month after the launch.

B&D’s venue not only hopes to give members of the Muncie alternative music scene a safe and stable place to attend shows, but also wants to give back to the music community. The venue is allowing new bands to perform as show openers for more popular bands, in an effort to help the musicians spread their music and increase their fan base. Owners have also decided to allow a few select bands to use the venue as practice space when concerts are not scheduled.

Besides helping fellow musicians, the owners are offering free music lessons to kids who are unable to afford them. Lessons will include vocals, guitar, and drums, said Waudby. Geesaman is asking anyone who is interested to “donate your time to help the next generation of musicians.” The owners have also decided to allow artists to display their work at the venue for free.

“I have spent 19 years playing in bands; I know music saved me and some of my friends. I feel like somewhere, there’s a kid that’s just like us that needs this place. We can make a difference and hopefully change their life,” said Geesaman.