Honor Society took Serendipity: The Tour to Stanhope House in New Jersey last Thursday, March 28th. The three guys, (previous keyboardist Jason Rosen left the band earlier this year), played a fun set which included music from their latest EP Serendipity.

Photography by Rosemary Vega
[See image gallery at hollywoodtimessquare.com]

Clearly, I’m a fan of Honor Society. I’ve seen them perform countless amount of times, and last night (November 13, 2012) reminded me why I keep going. The band began with “Empire State of Mind”- which is only appropriate since it was at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The band began with high energy, and maintained it throughout the show.

The band played songs from their debut album “Fashionably Late”, as well as songs from their ep “A Tale of Risky Business.” After a surprising cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” Honor Society played “Living a Lie” which had an incredible instrumental ending that truly showcased each members talent. The boys played a song called “House on the Hill” off their new ep “Serendipity,” (WHICH WAS GIVEN OUT TO EVERYONE…FOR FREE!!!), before covering a bit of Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” “Hurricane” was slowed down and I was, as always, impressed with Michael Bruno’s smooth, velvety voice (really, only way to describe it). The band ended with a mash up of “Smells like Teen Spirit/99 Problems” and their own song “Nobody Has to Know.” Yep, that really happened. They left the stage, and quickly came back for an encore, “Wherever You Are.”

As always, all four of the guys (Michael Bruno, Andrew Lee, Alex Noyes, and Jason Rosen) had incredible stage presence, really putting all their energy into giving a good performance. Their energy is infectious, and you really cannot not have fun at one of their shows, which they like to call “parties” anyway. (Accurate). The covers, which also included Prince’s “Purple Rain”, not only allowed people who aren’t too familiar with their music to enjoy the show, but showcased their knowledge and passion for music in general. After the show ended, the boys invited all their fans to the after party at Idle Hands bar via Twitter. A great band that likes to have a good time with their fans? Honestly, what’s not to like about Honor Society? (SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?)

If you live on the east coast you can catch them this week: November 15 – The Note – West Chester, PA & November 16 – The Space – Hamden, CT.
(http://honorsocietymusic.com/)

Honor Society playing at the San Diego County Fair

By Rosemary Vega

I’m already an Honor Society fan, so I knew that the majority of the audience would be young teens, but I was surprised to see even younger girls and many parents in attendance, although that could have also been due to the fact that Mitchel Musso, from Hannah Montana, was sharing the stage later that evening. Having said that, I felt really awkward watching these young girls listen to Honor Society’s music. Many of the lyrics are very, well, um, mature for the girls at the show. You’re not fooling anyone with “Walk across my room in nothing but the moonlight,” (See U in the Dark).

Regardless, Honor Society delivered, as always, a very energetic set. Singer Michael Bruno, when not playing his guitar, danced and ran around the stage interacting with the rest of the band and the audience. But especially captivating, was drummer, Alex Noyes. Drummers don’t normally steal my attention, but it’s hard not to notice Alex. He knows how to engage with the screaming girls, pointing and lip syncing to girls in the audience. You can’t help but watch him.

While many artists sound better on CD than live, Honor Society is the opposite. Their cd, Fashionably Late, comes off very “pop,” but on Tuesday, they changed up the songs just slightly, giving them a more alternative sound. I kind of wish the songs had been recorded the way they were played. And yes Michael, we all heard you say “All the shit you put me through” instead of “things” in the song, “Full Moon Crazy.”

My only complaint? Stay away from the slower songs like “My Own Way” and “Don’t Close the Book.” Although the songs are cute, the faster, energetic songs like “Here Comes Trouble” and their single “Over You” are what make Honor Society stand out, and what kept me entertained throughout the set.

Check out the pictures here