Doug Robinson, lead singer of The Sleeping at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale on Aug. 16. Photo by Nick Kydon.

By Chelsie Friedman

“If your heart was broken, you’d be dead.” You might call that The Sleeping’s trademark. You might call it their slogan. Whatever you call it, you’re talking about a band from Long Island that puts everything they have into every single show they play, especially when they play their hometown.

This summer they embarked on their first headlining tour, and ended last Thursday, Aug. 16, at none other than the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, NY. Though some opening acts changed throughout the tour this summer, this night Valeyra, A Day To Remember, and I Am The Avalanche played. The Sleeping played through their regular set list including songs from both “Questions and Answers” and “Believe What We Tell You.” In front of a packed crowd Doug Robinson (Vocals) sang and screamed as arms and legs from the center circle pit shot out at every second. The Sleeping’s fans are dedicated to say the least; one brushed past me sometime during the set and my arm was instantly soaked with sweat. And the band is dedicated too. Though they didn’t arrive that night until just before their set, Robinson said, “Were not those assholes who don’t hang around before the show.” He explained they were at a friend’s MTV Super Sweet 16 in the city, as it was her birthday and she had been battling Leukemia for some time.

Perhaps the best/funniest part of the night was when The Sleeping came on stage for the second time, for their encore. If you know anything about Bamboozle, a lot of bands will play under fake names. This past year, The Sleeping played under the name “Biker Woman,” and this is also how they came out on stage for their encore. Dressed in a black leather vest, Cameron Keym (Guitar) came on stage and asked in a sort of demanding/yelling way, “Is it okay if Biker Woman comes out to play another song?!” Though it was hard to take him seriously with a bandanna covering half his face, the crowd laughed and cheered as the rest of the members joined him on stage. They ended the night with a song they never play: “The Big Breakdown-Day 1.” I don’t think the crowd could have gone any crazier.

According to The Sleeping’s Myspace, they have a couple more shows on the East Coast for the summer, but nothing listed for the fall. Whether they are writing, recording or touring I couldn’t tell you. However, I can tell you that whatever they do will be worth knowing about.

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