This week’s The Pit feature is Shallow Side.
I’ve been around these guys for a long time now. I still remember working with them years ago when they played Stormy’s in Beaver Dam with Royal Bliss. Since then I’ve seen them at Brat Fest more times than I can count and somehow they’re still the same dudes.
And honestly, that’s probably what I’ve always liked about them.
A lot of bands change when bigger crowds start showing up. Maybe that’s normal. I don’t know. But every time I run into these guys it’s the same thing. They’re talking to fans, taking photos, hanging around after the set, catching up with people. Half the time it feels like they’re still talking to fans long after everybody else has packed up and left.
Lately I’ve been listening to “Filters” quite a bit from Reflections. Not even sure why that one grabbed me so much lately but it did. Then there’s “You’re The Reason.” Every time it comes on I end up listening to the whole thing over and over. Doesn’t matter what I was doing before.
Live is where these guys really make sense though.
Heath is still Heath. Every single time I see this band that dude is behind the drums shirtless. Every. Single. Time. At this point if he walked on stage wearing a shirt I’d probably spend half the set wondering what was wrong. He always looks like he’s having a blast too. Doesn’t matter if it’s 95 degrees at Brat Fest or some club show years ago.
Sam and Cody are a nightmare if you’re trying to photograph them. I mean that as a compliment. One second you’ve got a shot lined up and the next they’re somewhere completely different. Those two burn through more stage than most bands do all night. You can tell they’re feeding off the crowd the whole time.
Then you’ve got Eric.
I’ve heard a lot of singers live over the years. Some sound amazing on a record and then you hear them live and it’s just… different. Eric isn’t one of those guys. The guy can flat out sing.
What I’ve always noticed though is how comfortable he is up there. Doesn’t matter if it’s a giant crowd or fifty people standing in front of the stage. He treats it the same way.
And then there’s the brat throwing.
If you’ve been to Brat Fest and seen Shallow Side, you already know exactly what I’m talking about. At some point Eric starts launching brats into the crowd and people absolutely lose their minds trying to catch them. I’ve watched grown adults dive for flying bratwursts like game-winning footballs. It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous.
But honestly, it fits the band perfectly.
They’re serious about the music but never take themselves too seriously.
That’s probably the easiest way I can describe Shallow Side after all these years.
Good songs. Great live band. Good people.
Not a bad combination.
If you’ve never checked them out before, start with “You’re The Reason” and “Filters” and go from there.
Looking for more bands after this one? We’ve got a constantly growing Spotify playlist packed with 1000+ tracks ranging from underground heavy hitters to bigger names we can’t stop listening to. New songs get added all the time, so there’s always something new hiding in there.
Also keep an eye out every Wednesday for a new The Pit featured artist spotlight where we highlight bands we think deserve way more attention.