Converge

Converge had the good fortune to tour through Boulder a few years back during the heyday of sports riots and couch-burning. One particular show fell on the same night as CU versus Somebody (like it mattered who was playing), and as hardcore kids stormed the inside of Tulagi, football maniacs and troublemakers were just outside the venue toppling streetlights with raised fists and frat-boy enthusiasm. Tear-gas cans were tossed into the revolting crowd, and the harsh smoke began leaking into the show. Converge, whose set was nearly finished, kept playing encore after encore of tech-guitar slamming emotive metal to postpone the inevitable encounter of its fans with the uprising on the other side of the wall. Between spastic fits of coughing, vocalist/growler Jacob Bannon cried for unity. Eventually the streets were cleared, the riot squad was gone, and the kids, their lungs hacked with gas, exited the club all muttering the same thing: That was the best goddamn show they'd ever seen.