Review and Photos by Marissa Bowen
Not knowing any of the opening bands, I was pleasantly surprised when every band was incredible. Each one had their own unique sound, but complemented one another perfectly. With five acts in such a short night, it was a lot to take in at first. Once the night started though, I felt at home.
A War Within brought nothing but energy from the moment they stepped on stage. The lead singer for the first band of the night was not one bit shy about getting up close and personal. The tone was immediately set inside the small and intimate venue. Towards the end of their performance, the guitarist and singer switched places changing the dynamic entirely.
Thousand Below fit the lineup well, keeping the crowd energized through their set. The five piece band filled the front of the stage, and were mere inches from the front row fans. Small venues [like where we are] allow even those in the back an awesome view! New and old fans alike rocked out together, keeping the vibes going strong!
A new vibe was brought to the night by Ded. The third band to perform brought fog machines, blood splattered banners, and wore white contact. They are a band that you can’t ignore, setting the stage for an interesting performance. The lead singer looked and sang tough but inspired and empowered people with the songs lyrics.
Next up was The Word Alive. They also had an energy that was hard to ignore. They are the band most similar to blessthefall and my impression was people really liked them. The crowd sang along and became captivated by the guitarist when he tapped all over his fretboard, making his skills seem effortless. Towards the end of the set the venue cut the lights and the frontman lead an intimate moment as they paid respect to a band they looked up to; [band] had a lost it’s lead singer. Everyone held up their phone’s with the flashlight turned on as we paid tribute. In the small space, emotions ran high. It was a beautiful moment to be apart of.
When blessthefall took to the stage, everyone in the crowd was bursting with energy, ready to end the night on a high! Shouts of excitement filled the venue when the band they began their performance with their first song from their new album Hard Feelings. The crowd went crazy and stayed that way as blessthefall filled their set with upbeat hits. Adding to the performance, all the band members jumped around on riser platforms. Lead singer, Beau, sprayed water onto the crowd when he wasn’t in the crowd. He went into the audience multiple times, causing the whole place to lose it. He borrowed a fans hat and wore it on the stage for a few songs. At one point band members Eric and Jared came together at the center of the stage to create a shred mountain. The crowd went wild when they showed off their incredible talents. It was high energy throughout the whole night. After five bands, the crowd was satisfied with the energy of the night and the healing power music can bring.
