COLUMBUS, Ohio — Post-hardcore band Jaw Law reached a personal and professional milestone after being almost completely disregarded by the largest crowd they’ve ever played for while opening for Turnstile, according to sources.
“Not gonna lie, it’s been a pretty bumpy road,” Jaw Law guitarist Ethan Peters said. “There had been so many nights of playing empty shows, we weren’t sure if it was worth continuing. But when I looked at the crowd and saw all the people texting during our set, crowding around the merch table, and having loud conversations at the bar while we poured 100% of ourselves into our songs, I knew it had all been worth it.”
Playing to such a large, uninterested audience also reportedly had an impact on the band’s stage presence during their 45-minute performance.
“Usually, I’m not one for banter,” explained lead vocalist Derek Blaese. “But towards the end of the set, I took a moment to talk about how inspiring it was to be able to share our passion with so many people and how, if you truly want something, you have to go after it. We got some scattered applause for that. Honestly, this whole thing has just been an absolute rush.”
Brian Boyce, a Columbus-area bartender and former bassist for noise rock band Drastic said watching Jaw Law reminded him of his own experience playing for a massive, unmoved crowd for the first time.
“I’ll never forget opening for Melt-Banana in ‘02,” Boyce said. “Now, this was back before smartphones, but the lack of enthusiasm was still palpable. I’m pretty sure one guy was playing ‘Snake’ on his old Nokia phone. But we still played as though we were headlining Reading Fest and even got the email of a guy who said he had an in at Touch and Go Records. We never heard anything back, though.”
Next month, Jaw Law is slated to appear at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, where they’re expected to be ignored by tens of thousands of people trying to get a good spot for Japanese Breakfast.