Well played, U.S. Royalty

Something miraculous happened this weekend - I saw Third Eye Blind play, and their opening band did not make me want to rip my ears off. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed this band, U.S. Royalty, so much that I even purchased their latest album, Mirrors. This never happens.

A quick side note for anyone who does not understand how big of a deal this is: I have seen Third Eye Blind 19 times (yes, really) and I can only think of two other times that I liked the opener. I'm not going to name names, because I have no desire to rip poor unknown bands to shreds on the Internet. But let's just say, a beat down in a mosh pit would be preferable to listening to most of the bands I've heard play beforehand.

Anyway, back to the point. U.S. Royalty. After a little research, I see this band has been compared to everyone from Fleetwood Mac to Fleet Foxes, and many of the influences are easy to pinpoint. The songs are a combination of catchy melodies and nostalgic guitar solos mixed with plenty of swagger. Lead singer John Thornley's powerful vocals transfixed me right away, and damn, he can really hold a note (and then follow it up with a crazy blood-curdling scream).

The video for "Equestrian." Plus, the Internet has been freaking out over how stylish these dudes are, so you can check that out too.

This was the kind of opening band that grabs everyone's attention, pulling people away from the bar and into the crowd. Generally, the audience tolerates the opener while counting down the minutes until the main event comes out. But not at this show. U.S. Royalty received a well-deserved roar of cheers and whistles at the end of their set. This never happens. Not at a 3eb show, anyway.

I can already tell Mirrors will be the soundtrack to my summer. My favorite track so far is "Equestrian," although I'm falling in love with more and more of the tracks as I get acquainted with the album.

myspace.com/usroyalty