¡Mayday! takes the stage at a fully packed room in Vagabond, and without warning, launches off into a complete jam session on stage. Each of the six band members begin to completely let loose, hyping up the entire crowd around them. The percussion section, composed of Nonymous and LT Hopkins lay the beats down, while the guitarist/keyboardist Plex Luthor and keyboardist/bassist Gianni Cash chime in, completely syncopated. Front men Wrekonize & Bernbiz bring the swagger and begin to hype the crowd up even more before launching into the first song.

Their show is marked by the intense energy they bring. Girls in the crowd begin to climb up on the podiums and dance along to the song concurrently as other members of the crowd are completely engrossed in the show. ¡Mayday! has an energy while they perform that is undoubtedly contagious. Songs are given new life on stage, with a new dimension added to it. At one point in their performance, there's a pause to yell "God damn what a scam!" before the rest of the band drops the beat back.

This cliffhanger style of performing leaves the entire crowd hungry for more, and after each song, the crowd is brought up higher to the point of near frenzy. Bernz jumps from the stage to a nearby podium, spitting his verse with ease over the crowd. Each member of the group brings something different to the group, creating a dynamic of having immense depth to their music and performance style; each part creates a new layer, which then all flawlessly combines.

Finishing off the set is a slowed-down version of "Technology," followed by "Crossroads and Avenues," both found on their EP Technology. A longstanding Miami band, ¡Mayday! has been on the scene since 2006. Their most recent video for "Technology" can be seen on MTV.com, while their song "Groundhog Day" has been featured on HBO's hit sitcom Entourage. Circulating on YouTube is a video featuring ¡Mayday! jamming with none other than phenom Lil' Wayne.

With no plans of slowing down, ¡Mayday! is releasing an album in late spring 2010, tentatively titled Stuck on an Island. Their inspirations are eclectic, ranging from Colt 45s to the upcoming Apocalypse, without forgetting to mention greasy cheeseburgers, zombies (the mad, brain-eating kind), and roundhouse kicks.

The upcoming album will feature a notable growth musically. While their first EP focused on a more hip hop sound, the new album will be a display of how the group has pushed their own boundaries on all fronts, from songwriting to creating bigger songs. As the group puts it, they put it all "in fifth gear."

¡Mayday! is a group that is quickly on the rise. Already a major player on the Miami scene, their fame will only continue to grow. To catch ¡Mayday! live, or to catch their new album as soon as it drops, check out maydayonline.com.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Walker