Three bands performed at Harper's Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. The opening acts were Tripside and Sloth, followed by one of my favorite bands, Tantric. At a venue best known for its live rhythm and blues shows, this performance of three alternative groups really rocked the house.The first band onstage was Tripside. Hailing from Long Island, N.Y., the band formed in 2001. It consists of members Ryan Siegel (Vocals/Guitar), Frankie Martinelli (Guitar), Mike Sadis (Bass), and George De Haven (Drums). They are relatively new to the music scene and have no current hits on the radio or elsewhere. I was very impressed by this group. Siegel, besides being physically attractive, had an excellent voice compared to many other alternative singers and was a pleasure to listen to.

The songs, which were mostly written by Siegel, were interesting and lyrical. I especially enjoyed the songs "Take You Home" and "Easier" due to their emotional significance to me. The band has produced two albums, the second containing most of the songs that were played at the concert. I hope that they will become popular soon because they have great potential.

Following them was Sloth, which I did not like at all. This wasn't because they weren't my preferred style of music, but because they lacked talent. The band, which formed in 1995, consists of Richard Love (Vocals), Kristo Panos (Guitar), Andrew Kowatch (Bass) and Adam Figura (Drums). Their music was very hard and included lots of yelling, screaming, and guitar riffing. The lyrics were nothing special or memorable. To me, it was just noise pollution as I waited in anticipation for Tantric to take the stage.

Tantric's set did not begin until past 11 pm, but it was worth the wait. I had never seen them in concert before, and Harper's Ferry was a great venue to see them in since it was small but not tiny, so it had a "listening to your friend's garage band" feel to it. Tantric, formed in 1998 in Louisville, Ky., has produced one album thus far. The band features Hugo Ferreira (Vocals), Todd Whitener (Guitar), Jesse Vest (Bass) and Matt Taul (Drums). They are unique because their genre is "bluesy-alternative," and they play everything from acoustic to punk songs. The band opened with one of my favorites, "Astounded," and I was surprised how many of the fans knew all of the words, since they are not a hugely popular band.

They only played three other songs from their album, among them their hit "Breakdown," and all of the rest were from their yet to be released album. This was both good and bad. It was good because I got to hear their new material-most of which sounded outstanding-but bad because there were not many songs I was able to sing along with. Ferreira had a great stage presence and did a nice job of getting the audience to sing along and be involved with the show.

Overall, besides the concert starting later and lasting longer than I expected, it was a really enjoyable evening. I discovered a new band, was able to see a band I loved, and, well, there are not many positive comments I can make about Sloth, but other people seemed to like them. I can't wait for the new Tantric album, due out in February, and I hope Tripside will gain more recognition as legitimate artists. Judging by the enthusiastic reception the band received during the show, it is safe to say that they gained many new fans. As a venue, I would definitely recommend Harper's Ferry because it is a good location with enough space to adequately enjoy a band, and plenty of televisions to watch the Red Sox on while you wait.