[SSION](http://ssion.com) shook the crowd when they took the stage at Mojo’s a little after midnight Thursday.
Vocalist Cody Critcheloe leads SSION, a pop punk group that formed in Kansas City in 1996. Although Critcheloe hails from Kansas City, the three other band members that played with him last night are from New York. Critcheloe says he considers both Kansas City and New York his home and spends a lot of time going between the two.
The bass was reaching the level where you worry about swallowing your tongue when the crazy lights started. Critcheloe’s philosophy on live shows is “it’s not my party, it’s theirs,” and he made sure each and every member of the audience was having a great time. When one audience member shouted out a song request, Critcheloe dragged him on stage and had him sing the song a capella and then had the whole crowd join in. Critcheloe says all his shows are very interactive and he loves to look, talk and address whoever is there with his performance.
The crowd at Mojo’s definitely ate up the performance. Critcheloe, in his fringed leather jacket, treated a tiny bar like it was the Sprint Center. When he asked the crowd to scream louder, stomp harder, and show him that they were having a good time, they did not disappoint.
When asked about Critcheloe’s inspirations, he says his friends inspire him the most and that the people he knows and interacts with “make the most interesting music.” He even cites his opening act, House of Ladosha, as a really strong muse for him currently.
If you’ve ever seen a SSION show or even a music video, you know that they’re a little bit, well maybe more then a little bit, off the mainstream path. That is what makes SSION so unique and exciting. Honestly, at first, the outfits and the lights were a little much, but then the music started. SSION’s songs are so unlike anything else on the market, that it’s hard not to love it. Definitely a group to watch, it’s obvious that SSION will continue making strides and awesome innovative music for years to come.