By Caitlin Maloney, Staff Writer

Manchester Orchestra is a band that, although originally hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Long Island crowds view as hometown heroes. With initial backing from Long Island greats Brand New, Manchester Orchestra’s rise in 2006 was an explosive one, especially in this area. The band certainly reciprocates the fondness, treating Long Island’s Crazy Donkey to an exciting live show this week, despite not currently being on tour.

For support, Manchester Orchestra chose Person L, the latest project of Kenny Vasoli, former frontman of The Starting Line. With The Starting Line’s hit “Best Of Me”now a nostalgic memory of high school pop rock, Person L has taken the conversational honesty of lyrics that made The Starting Line an away message staple and combined them with crunchy effects and hum-a-long riffs to create the more grown-up, indie version of what everyone held so dear at 16. Live, Vasoli is endearing and energetic, even in front of a lukewarm crowd. Opening with “Good Days,“the second track from 2009’s “The Positives,” Person L was met with a small but devoted audience. The presence of a second drummer created an exciting effect, with an impressive unison existing between the two percussionists. Watching the set, one got the impression that they play with exactly the same energy whether they are in front of hundreds of people or practicing alone. Their enthusiasm is infectious, and it eventually drew a substantial crowd as the set continued. Vasoli alternated between wild dance moves and modestly thanking the crowd for “being so cool,” even in the midst of occasional technical mishaps. New songs such as “Okay” and a cowbell driven number with the refrain “She Loves Me Electric” left fans excited for what’s to come from Person L.

There was no denying that Manchester Orchestra, however, was the reason the venue was packed. Starting their set with a barrage of atmospheric noise, with the keyboard player’s eyes rolled back in his head, Manchester transitioned easily into “Pride” to begin an impressive set list. Whether it was a singalong like “100 Dollars,” a hit like “Wolves at Night,” or an older fan favorite like “Colly Strings,” the band delivered song after song for nearly two hours of anthemic rock. The intensity level was maintained from every mosh-friendly riff to every heart-wrenching, folky outcry. Lead singer Andy Hull broke up a serious set with his take-no-prisoners sense of humor. In the midst of a well-rehearsed, carefully harmonized song about rapper 50 Cent, a girl in the crowd yelled “Andy, we love you, now play a real song!” Stopping the music, he replied “This is the realest song we have, so shut up, you fourteen-year-old f***…now I’m going to fade back in on A minor,” and resumed his ode to G-Unit. Later, after realizing they had been playing for an hour and a half, Hull proclaimed proudly, “Now, when was the last time you saw Cute Is What We Aim For play for an hour and a half?” proving the band’s commitment to the roots of rock and roll. Closing with hit single“I’ve Got Friends,“followed by a song from their forthcoming new record, Manchester Orchestra rewarded the Long Island crowd for their years of devotion.

Manchester Orchestra holds a special place in their hearts for their L.I. fan base (Photo Courtesy of themanchesterorchestra.com)