Heaving & Harrison Gordon – The Castle Theatre

By: Hannah Berge

The day before Easter was a spectacular night at The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, IL.

4 unique bands came together for a night of rock-n-roll. Glittermouth, Grey Slush, Harrison Gordon and Heaving was an insane combination of sounds that absolutely worked!

Glittermouth opened the show with a bang! The 5-person band from Peoria, IL gave the show the perfect start. The members of the band were slightly older and brought a heavier dad rock vibe to the Castle. I really liked how their sound was more focused like a dad rock style, kind of like a heavier rock version of Nickelback. The played their hit songs which I was a fan of, but they also played new music not released yet, that the crowd loved. Overall, as a new band to me I was rockin’ along with them. I can’t wait to hear more from Glittermouth. Glittermouth gave the show the perfect upbeat heavy rock start the crowd was ready for with their strong stage presence, Glittermouth was the perfect opener to this concert.

Next up was Grey Slush, as another new band for me I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 4-person band. They slowed the tempo down and gave a more indie rock sound to the audience. There was a moment where people in the crowd were waving their hands with the band along to the beat, which shows the sense of connection Grey Slush had with the audience. I was definitely a fan and would enjoy seeing Grey Slush again. As this was a pre-performance for their new EP release party on 4/13/2024. This band will definitely be on my radar, and I am looking forward to listening to their new EP.

As the Castle Theatre got more crowded and excited, Harrison Gordon popped out onto the stage in such a funny way. With cartoon clown circus music playing, this gave the audience the sense of fun that was about to rock the stage, which is Harrison Gordon. I have seen him perform many times with Chuck’s Papas and his own music. Let me tell you Harrison Gordon never disappoints. The music was high tempo rock and got the crowd fired up. There was headbanging, dancing, moshing and even crowd surfing which was crazy I have never seen that before. Harrison Gordon played his classic hit but also debuted a new song that hasn’t been released that was probably my favorite song of his set. All in all, Harrison Gordon always draws a huge crowd and for good reason, he is super fun to watch on stage and his music is awesome.

Finally, Heaving took the stage and absolutely brought the house down! As the main headliner the crowd was beyond excited for their set to begin. Heaving was a familiar band to me as I have listened to their music before. As another band from Peoria, IL rocked the stage with their grudge rock sound. They played crowd favorites along with new songs off their new EP that came out 3/22/2024. The crowd was loving every second of their act, as these were people of all ages from college students to parents and grandparents shows rock music is loved by generations. I was blown away by the talent of all the bands that performed. Every band gained new fans tonight as every band was loved by the audience. The Castle Theatre always hosts the most talented artists, and the experience is always top tier. I will be back for more shows soon!