Welcome back to your emo phase. Your parents don't understand you, you shop at Hot Topic, and the girl you like found someone else so you go cry in your room as you drown in algebra homework while the bands above play in the background. What an amazing experience this was. Most know that the Palladium is my least favorite venue but you know I had to go for this one. Joining me was the King of MySpace, Dete Pugdale, and the triumphant return of Zach "The Cali Flash" Ganshirt.
Capstan
Genre: Post Hardcore/Emocore FFO: Story of the Year, Prostest the Hero, August Burns Red
Now I feel like I'm the only one that saw the flier for this tour and got wicked stoked mistaking Capstan for Caspian. I thought it was a little odd but after a closer look I realized who it really was. When they began, all you heard was piano until the rest of the band jumped in. At first I thought "Not bad, sounds like your average 2005 emo band" until Zach pointed out listen closely to the riffs. The riffs were almost jazzy and comparable to bands like Protest the Hero. Very impressive. I can see these guys reaching the same status as Silverstein in maybe like 5 years if they work at it.
As Cities Burn
Genre: Emo/Post-Hardcore/Metalcore FFO: mewithoutyou, Norma Jean, Underoath
This was reason numero uno for the three of us being here. When was the last time you hear the words "As Cities Burn on tour" all in the same sentence? FRom what I understand, its the first full US tour they've done since 2008. Of course they began with '84 Sheepdog.
I'm not gonna lie, I haven't listened to much other than Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest, but my opinion on '84 Sheepdog as well as the other non-metalcore songs played live is not what I expected. It was very passionate and I could compare it to Pianos Become the Teeth with the sound, dare I say even almost shoegazing. The one thing going through my mind is 90% of this crowd probably hasn't heard of these guys and aren't ready for the metalcore songs, well surely enough, after two emo songs and a new songs, we hear Onetwentyseven.
The song began Immediately after the last and the crowd was thrown forward screaming along every song and that christcore breakdown got the mosh going. So much passion from the vocalists, basically double the amount of energy the had for the previous songs. The sound was too perfect, I couldn't even believe I was witnessing this. Immediately after came Bloodsucker pt. II. Double the enrgy from the crowd, and triple the energy from the band. The lighting was the same color as the album shining like rays from heaven judging you for your sins. I have never seen Zach so energetic in all the shows I've been to with him. For the end of the song we all threw ourselves forward as the vocalist stood atop the barrier throwing the mic into the crowd screaming in everyone's faces "ARE YOU THE MAN NOW THAT YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED!" and for the first time ever, Zach crowd surfed. After this set we were all officially cleansed of sin. What an incredible set by an Incredible band. They ended by saying "Thank you, see you in 2019".
Hawthorne Heights
Genre: Emocore, Post-hardcore FFO: From First To Last, Funeral For a Friend, Senses Fail
As Cities Burn are a tough act to follow but Hawthorne Heights I don't think will ever go wrong. Something tells me these guys will never fail to amaze me live. Appropriately beginning with This Is Who We Are, the crowd sang along crowd surfing and moshing to the break downs. Already tons of crowd participation from the start. The band seemed very calm and composed, it my opinion it made them seem more emotional.I thought it was funny that every talk between songs, made it seem like the set was over because of the amount of times he said "Thank you Worcester, we're Hawthorne Heights" They did state the last time they played in MA with Silverstein was at the ICC church in Allston.
Evenyually, the band got everyone to hold up their phones with the flashlight shining to honor fallen friends, I recall one he mentioned being someone from Bayside. He stated that this why they write the music they write. I swear, these guys could make the manlilest of men cry. After his speech, the song Bring You Back began, and everyone kept the lights shining.
If there's one song I was waiting for, it was of course, Saying Goodbye. I had to do it to 'em... you know crowd surf to the chorus. The were tears in my eyes as I was surfing atop the emocean, everyone probably thought it was raining. Once I got back down, someone came up to me and complimented my Shadows Fall shirt then stated he's loved Hawthorne Heights for 12 years now, then I got a good look at him and saw this kid was wearing a Novembre shirt. really glad I wasn't the only doom fan there.
I thin you could guess what the finisher was.... Yep, Ohio. The emo anthem of middle school, high school, you name it.(Also should've mentioned their banner said "I used to listen to Hawthorne Heights in high school"). If you've seen Hawthorne Heights before, you know what was about to go down. Bodies flying for the stage, voices screaming the lyrics, and of course, tears flooding the venue.
Silverstein
Genre: Emocore, Post-Hardcore FFO: Funeral For A Friend, From First To Last, Story of the Year
Let me begin by saying WBIEF is not an album I am very familiar with, I do enjoy it however (Big one for me was Discovering the Waterfront). THe lights were shut off as the band walked out and you hear a what sounded like an old movie sample that said a bunch of stuff I couldn't comprehend, then you hear it say, "Silverstein, When Broken is Easily Fixed" and the band began the album. Whatever energy the crowd had before skyrocketed to oblivion, no matter where you looked everyone was singing along, crowd surfing, moshing, the whole kit and kaboodle.
If you know this album well, which I'm sure the old school fans do, you know about all the violin. Silverstein did introduce a guest violinist they had with them. Before they did this , I honestly thought the violin was sampled, it sounded so clear and natural you couldn't even tell the difference. Eventually they got to the song I knew best on the album"November" This song was so well done that the beginning riff sounded metalcore, and the breakdown was heavy and overly worthy of a mosh (No I didn't mosh). Everything about the set was spot on really. The vocals were even sung more high pitched like they are on the album. I am very impressed by how well they committed to this album.
Eventually they finished the album, left the stage and then came back for the second set: Greatest Hits. They began with a newer one: Afterglow and an emo tsunami of crowd surfers spawned out of nothing. Then came my seventh grade anthem, Smile in Your Sleep. Adrenaline surged threw me the moment it started. Another tidal wave of crowd surfers began and riding atop the wave was yours truely. Zach pulled me aside and said, "The breakdown is coming, MOSH!" and I moshed to an emo band to probably the heaviest breakdown they played all night.
The Three of us were wondering if Silverstein would do the infamous American Nightmare cover but it was getting late so we figure we'd see if it would happen after the song, Massachusetts. Unforunately it didn't. I'd say each set of the night was incredibly well executed as we all left the venue leaving a trail of tears and gaining a new faith in christianity. Thank the lord this night happened. Outstanding!
Evenyually, the band got everyone to hold up their phones with the flashlight shining to honor fallen friends, I recall one he mentioned being someone from Bayside. He stated that this why they write the music they write. I swear, these guys could make the manlilest of men cry. After his speech, the song Bring You Back began, and everyone kept the lights shining.
If there's one song I was waiting for, it was of course, Saying Goodbye. I had to do it to 'em... you know crowd surf to the chorus. The were tears in my eyes as I was surfing atop the emocean, everyone probably thought it was raining. Once I got back down, someone came up to me and complimented my Shadows Fall shirt then stated he's loved Hawthorne Heights for 12 years now, then I got a good look at him and saw this kid was wearing a Novembre shirt. really glad I wasn't the only doom fan there.
I thin you could guess what the finisher was.... Yep, Ohio. The emo anthem of middle school, high school, you name it.(Also should've mentioned their banner said "I used to listen to Hawthorne Heights in high school"). If you've seen Hawthorne Heights before, you know what was about to go down. Bodies flying for the stage, voices screaming the lyrics, and of course, tears flooding the venue.
Silverstein
Genre: Emocore, Post-Hardcore FFO: Funeral For A Friend, From First To Last, Story of the Year
Let me begin by saying WBIEF is not an album I am very familiar with, I do enjoy it however (Big one for me was Discovering the Waterfront). THe lights were shut off as the band walked out and you hear a what sounded like an old movie sample that said a bunch of stuff I couldn't comprehend, then you hear it say, "Silverstein, When Broken is Easily Fixed" and the band began the album. Whatever energy the crowd had before skyrocketed to oblivion, no matter where you looked everyone was singing along, crowd surfing, moshing, the whole kit and kaboodle.
If you know this album well, which I'm sure the old school fans do, you know about all the violin. Silverstein did introduce a guest violinist they had with them. Before they did this , I honestly thought the violin was sampled, it sounded so clear and natural you couldn't even tell the difference. Eventually they got to the song I knew best on the album"November" This song was so well done that the beginning riff sounded metalcore, and the breakdown was heavy and overly worthy of a mosh (No I didn't mosh). Everything about the set was spot on really. The vocals were even sung more high pitched like they are on the album. I am very impressed by how well they committed to this album.
Eventually they finished the album, left the stage and then came back for the second set: Greatest Hits. They began with a newer one: Afterglow and an emo tsunami of crowd surfers spawned out of nothing. Then came my seventh grade anthem, Smile in Your Sleep. Adrenaline surged threw me the moment it started. Another tidal wave of crowd surfers began and riding atop the wave was yours truely. Zach pulled me aside and said, "The breakdown is coming, MOSH!" and I moshed to an emo band to probably the heaviest breakdown they played all night.
The Three of us were wondering if Silverstein would do the infamous American Nightmare cover but it was getting late so we figure we'd see if it would happen after the song, Massachusetts. Unforunately it didn't. I'd say each set of the night was incredibly well executed as we all left the venue leaving a trail of tears and gaining a new faith in christianity. Thank the lord this night happened. Outstanding!
