Ever since the first time I saw Quarters — formerly known as Quarters of Change — a couple of years ago when they opened for Bad Suns in St. Petersburg, FL, they have had an inexplicable grip on me. They are the kind of band that, despite not being widely mainstream, have a loyal fanbase and incredibly dedicated listeners.

The journey I embarked on that day to the venue was nothing short of arduous. In fact, I started out my morning nearly 600 miles away from Amos’ Southend. I had just spent a couple of days in my beachy hometown located near Clearwater, Florida. The night before, I carefully calculated how much time I would have to sleep in order to make it to the venue in time while still maximizing my time spent in Florida. I woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning, packed up my things, and got in my car.

After about 10 hours of driving and an obligatory stop at Buc-ees, I made it home. I showered, grabbed my camera gear, and drove the final hour to the venue. My calculations may have been slightly off because I unfortunately missed Trophy Wife‘s first song or two. Fortunately, I was still in that “first three songs” window, though, and I managed a few decent photos of their set.

Trophy Wife was incredible from the get-go. I immediately noticed the standout alabaster style of the lead vocalist and the way the trio seemed to bring the venue to life during their performance. After I finished taking my photos and quickly left the much-too-small photo pit, I took a seat on the wooden bench near the back corner of the venue. As I watched the remainder of their set, I noted how much I connected with their indie/grunge sound, especially in the last song. “Leech” had such an emotional build, and it was all tied together by the whiny vocals and unapologetic screams. Trophy Wife knows how to seamlessly incorporate raw emotion into their music and performances, and that is what I have found to appreciate the most about them.

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Malice K came manned and ready. The pair sauntered on stage, with nothing but a microphone and a laptop, and they gave the patrons at Amos’ Southend an awesome performance. Similar to Trophy Wife, Malice K‘s music was very emotional, punk, and grungy. Yet, it sounded completely different from the former. Alex Konschuh‘s vocals were haunting and unique, and I enjoyed witnessing his uncommon take on indie/alternative. His movements on stage made him especially memorable: getting on top of the table, dancing, moving, contorting himself in whatever way fit the vibe of the song he was performing. Alex’s unabashed stage presence felt very rock ‘n’ roll, and in my experience, that kind of thing is exactly what listeners like to see.

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As I write this, I am listening to Quarters in my headphones. How they manage such an incredible sound and tone is beyond me. This band does not put themselves in a box when it comes to writing music, and they definitely aren’t afraid to switch up the vibes when producing new albums. For example, I could melt into my couch, swallowed up by the warm, dim lighting of my living room while listening to songs like “Sofia” or “To Let Go.” Flip that coin, and you’re cruising down a desolate 2 a.m. interstate with the windows down, and “Headlight” or “T-Love” feel like they’re soundtracking your life. I was very excited to be given the opportunity to photograph this band, and they were every bit as amazing as they were when I saw them the first time a few years ago. You have to trust me when I say this band sounds exactly like their studio recordings live, if not better.

The general vibe of the room was so friendly and happy. Every person that I saw seemed to be enjoying themselves — and if it were a contest, the three girls at the center of the barricade would’ve won. The whole time, they jumped, danced, and sang to every song, even when those around them didn’t. I spent most of my time watching Quarters on the second floor of the venue, which had a perfect view of the stage. As I was perched up in the loft, I was shocked to hear the first few notes of one of my favorite songs, “Kiwi,” just about halfway through the show. I imagined “Kiwi” would’ve been a closing or encore song, but they surprised me by playing “Blue Copper” and “T-Love” for their encore. The setlist was a perfect blend of introductions to new songs as well as nostalgia for my favorites. There is only one thing I would’ve tweaked: I would have been elated to hear “Jaded.”

This was a wonderful experience, and I truly do stand by the title of this article. Quarters is an incredibly underrated band, and I hope that they start getting more recognition — not only because they deserve it, but also because their music is too good to go unnoticed. I would not be surprised if I saw this band headlining festivals in the next couple of years.

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