2007 National Youth Gathering Music Reviews:The Stellar Kart Elevator Game

Part of a series of reviews of concerts at the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod National Youth Gathering, July 28-August 1, 2007

You know the elevator game where you jump as the car arrives at a floor and depending on whether the elevator is going up or down, your jump is smaller or bigger than you’d expect? We played the elevator game at the Stellar Kart show at the LCMS National Youth Gathering.

Stellar Kart’s Tuesday afternoon show was in the Valencia Room on the fourth floor of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. A fourth floor ballroom, and as the crowd pogoed to Stellar Kart’s full participating skate punk songs, that floor was flexing beneath our feet. Sometimes your jump took longer to find solid ground; sometimes the floor was rising to meet you.

[One of our adult leaders—while enjoying the music—backed away from the pit but kept her video camera going, praying that her video wouldn’t have to end up on a 20/20 special about the youth gathering that went through the floor].

I suppose that says nothing about the music, but it is testimony to the fact that Stellar Kart plays with such ferocity as to get everyone rocking. They pick up on Relient K’s skate punk attitude and flair while using heavy doses of MxPx’s punk core. And although some may accuse Stellar Kart of tailgating Relient K, SK seems much better at drawing in the crowd into their happy, thrasy, jumping, bouncing world. Relient K definitely has a cultic aspect, where inside jokes and devoted followers reign. SK pulls in everyone—whether you know their songs or not. With a hearty welcome and plenty of rock ‘n’ roll set before us, they won over my youth who now hope to bring them to Wisconsin next summer.

I heard plenty of music in our five days at the Gathering, but I don’t think I enjoyed myself as much as I did in the SK elevator game. While the sound set up left much to be desired—the speaker layout didn’t anticipate a crowd right in front of the stage, I still enjoyed every sweaty fist pump and only wished there was enough space to let me spin like Adam Agee (vocals, guitar), Brian Calcara (bass), and Cody Pellerin (lead guitar).

Thanks to Stellar Kart and Word Records for the review CD.