There were no hard feelings in The Blind Tiger in Greensboro as this tour stopped in our city. Blessthefall’s headlining run brought energetic performances from the band itself and a few of their friends to the small venue, helping to take people’s minds off the approaching hurricane that was expected to hit the Carolinas. With that being said, due to preparations at my day job for the upcoming storm, I had to miss the first two bands on the bill, but I made it just in time to catch the guys in DED rock the stage.
Now if you don’t know who these guys are, you definitely need to check them out. With the band’s mix of early 2000’s nu-metal and heavy metal elements, they have become a force to be reckoned with, especially with their relentless touring cycle in support of their debut record. This was my first time seeing the band live, but man was it worth it. Frontman Joe Cotela has an aura about him on stage, helping to control the crowd and get the fans riled up. Even though the crowd size for this show was a bit smaller than usual for this venue, that didn’t stop the fans from making their way on the stage for a short crowd surf to the center of the venue. I had the chance to catch up with Joe who stated that the band will be making their way back into the studio in the very near future to begin working on their sophomore album, having around 10 songs completed with 10 more in the works. With that being said, we could possibly see and new DED album by the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2019.
After the dust cleared from DED’s energetic performance, The Word Alive took their place on the stage. Now, this is a band that I am not too familiar with, but after seeing them live they earned my respect. The band delivered a very high energy performance, jumping around the stage and helping to build the energy in the building. They acted like a complete unit when it came to their energy and stage presence, something that you really only see in veteran bands, having their movements synced throughout the band.
When the headliners, Blessthefall, took the stage, the fans were already as hyped up as they could possibly be. Frontman Beau Bokan made his way to the stage, water bottle in hand spraying the crowd in his signature fashion. The band played a setlist consisting heavily on tracks from their newest record and the tour’s name, ‘Hard Feelings’, but they also threw in a few fan favorites from their older albums. This was my second time seeing this band live and It honestly doesn’t get old. They have so much energy that radiates out into the crowd, making the crowd feel as they are part of the performance, which is something that I love about this band. The band also stepped up their lighting setup since the last time I saw them, helping to give everyone in attendance the best experience they possibly could have.
The tour runs through the beginning of October ending in Phoenix, Arizona, so there are plenty of chances to grab your tickets and check this one out, you really won’t want to miss it.
Blessthefall
The Word Alive
DED
