With the current abundance of bands in the punk genre vying for recognition, ranging from the more radio friendly pop-punk of Blink 182 to the angst-ridden emo-punk of Taking Back Sunday, it can sometimes be difficult for a band to stand out from the masses. The two bands headlining Bentley's spring concert, Yellowcard and Something Corporate, are two prime examples of punk bands who are making a name for themselves in the industry with their talent and uniqueness.Close to 3,000 people of high school and college age squeezed into Bentley's Dana Athletic Center on a balmy Saturday night. Many were sporting a variety of punk band apparel; those who weren't eagerly milled around the table of paraphernalia to buy concert souvenirs.

After two opening acts, Yellowcard took the stage amid the enthusiastic cheering of the audience. The band, based in Ventura, Calif., but originally from Jacksonville, Fla. consists of Ryan Key (vocals and guitar), Sean Mackin (violin and vocals), Ben Harper (guitar), Longinue Parsons (drums) and Alex Lewis (bass). With the inclusion of a classically-trained violinist, the band brings a fresh aspect to traditional punk sound.

They began their set with an energetic song containing an up-tempo drum beat and swift guitar rhythms. The second song, "Miles Apart," maintained the aerobic pace of the previous song. Many members of the audience proceeded to sing along and dance or jump to the beat of the music, following the lead of the band as they leapt around the stage at a frenzied pace. Especially energetic was Mackin, as he bounded across the stage while playing his violin passionately.

Before launching into their next song, Key proclaimed that they were "going to speed things up," and amazingly, they did. "Life of a Salesman," topped the previous songs with its rapid rhythm and proud lyrics about praising one's father. Inspired by the energy of the band, the crowd did its best to keep up. The energy of the gymnasium was so intense that a few of the audience members had to pause to use their inhalers. Other notable upbeat songs were the MTV-rotation heavy single "Ocean Avenue" and the harder sounding "Way Away," which was reminiscent of Finch.

The band also mixed in a few slow songs, such as "Empty Apartment," which was more melodic and showcased an intricate guitar solo, a nice change of pace from many of the repetitious chords that characterize punk songs. Another slow song featured was the emotion-wrought "Breathing," with such lyrics as "And even though you are next to me I still feel so alone/I just can't give you anything for you to call your own."

The only weakness of the band's presentation was succumbing to a few punk band stereotypes. Certain parts of the set had songs played back to back with almost the exact same rhythm, allowing only a loyal fan to notice the transition and evoking the dreaded criticism of "all their songs sound the same." Also, there was nothing distinctive about Key's voice, but fortunately he had enough talent and charisma on stage to counteract his generic punk sound. Ironically enough, Key's vocals were most impressive when Yellowcard performed a cover of a Nirvana song. But despite a few weaknesses, the band had a strong appeal and a solid sound.

Like Yellowcard, Something Corporate needed no introduction-the dimming of the lights alone set the crowd into a frenzy of shrieks and swoons. Something Corporate, which also hails from Southern California, consists of Andrew McMahon (vocals, piano), Josh Partington (guitar), William Tell (guitar), Clutch (bass) and Brian Ireland (drums). Similar to Yellowcard, they also bring an unorthodox instrument to the punk genre in the form of a piano. They began their set with "Hurricane," an energetic song featuring a solid piano solo by McMahon.

Not to be outdone by the previous act, Something Corporate made sure to rouse the crowd with their enthusiasm, inspiring occasional mosh pits, crowd surfing and lots of jumping. Again, the presence of loyal fans was evidenced by the amount of people singing along.

They played several songs off of their first album, such as "Woke Up in a Car" and "Fall," in addition to tracks from their latest album North, including "Space," "21 and Invisible" and "Ruthless." The songs varied in tempo and tone, but each succeeded in engaging the audience. McMahon's captivating stage presence drew the listeners into the music, effectively portraying the emotion of each song. It was almost impossible not to be mesmerized by his performance. His impressive piano playing skills were reminiscent of the fervent stylings of Ben Folds.

Unfortunately, the venue and the weather were not conducive to the number of people present, resulting in 10 fans being injured and taken to the hospital. Also, several people from the surrounding area phoned in noise complaints, forcing local fire marshals to call for an end to the concert half-way through Something Corporate's set. To the fans' delight, the band was adamant about staying for the entire performance, McMahon exclaiming, "they will have to take me away in handcuffs."

The band was able to get through a moving rendition of "Konstantine" before the authorities started to turn on the lights and dismantle the equipment. The band played on in spite of the difficulties, encouraging the audience to sing the lyrics to "If You C Jordan," because the microphone had been turned off at that point. The fact that the audience stayed and sang the song loud and defiantly under the direction of McMahon is another demonstration of the band's devoted following.

Both bands were successful at connecting with the audience and were able to put on a worthwhile show, despite the adversity they faced from the local authorities. While the fire marshals may have succeeded in shutting down the show, they were not able to dampen the spirits of Something Corporate, nor the audience, as both continued to enjoy themselves to the bitter end.