Concert Review: BRING ME THE HORIZON at the Midland Theatre

It was a misty overcast Tuesday as people of all ages lined up outside the Midland Theatre. The sold-out show for The American Nightmare Tour had concertgoers wrapped around the entire building as doors opened. We all filed in, and it wasn’t long before the theatre started to fill up.

Beartooth started right on time, opening with the title track off their latest album, Aggressive. The eccentric metalcore band had the crowd jumping along as requested by frontman Caleb during “Fair Weather Friend.” “Hated” was the crowd favorite as the mix of rhythmic drums and melodic riffs made way, a nice twist like a kick of something sweet and spicy. Hands were up in the air and jumping during “In Between,” the crowd was like a choir singing the ‘woah-oh’s’ back to the band. It was honestly my first time even hearing anything from the band, and I was impressed by their performance.

Underoath began their set with “Everyone Looks So Good from Here.” A sea of hands filled the horizon, as their light show displayed. The strobe lights were a bit much for me, but I think I was being a little sensitive that night. Crowd surfers high-fived frontman Spencer during “Writing on the Wall,” as he jumped into the crowd. The band played some older favorite tracks like “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” and “Reinventing Your Exit.” Since their hiatus, Underoath has toured a couple of times, asking the crowd how many saw them in this same venue last year. As the hands rose, they explained how they’re glad to be back and hope to be back soon next year.

Bring Me The Horizon started their set with “Happy Song,” and seeing the entire crowd move and sing along gave me chills. Confetti canons shot off, emitting streamers that dangled from light fixtures. A few older tracks were performed, such as “Chelsea’s Smile” and “The House of Wolves.” The pit erupted as soon as the opera-like vocals began for “Shadow Moses,” and the smoke canons were a nice touch leading into the first verse. The stage set up included a mix of light shows and massive screens displaying ambient art, song lyrics and time-lapsed videos, including flowers blooming, grass in the wind, a pack of wolves, and music video snippets – the display set up rotated between songs. BMTH continued to slay songs off their latest album, including “Avalanche,” “Doomed,” and “Throne.”

After a brief pause, BMTH transitioned into their encore with some final tracks off That’s The Spirit. “True Friends” had some beautiful synth strings with a little pep in the step. “Oh No” was the next track, the crowd dancing and jumping to the rhythm while the entire band’s shadows could be seen in the purple lights surrounding them. The night was finished off with “Drown,” a song about being saved when times get rough and having someone to help you along the way. During the heavy intro, frontman Oliver asked the crowd to jump along, and you could see the balcony shaking up and down; it was intense. Smoke canons and confetti finished off the night as the band jumped around the entire stage. The crowd gave a roar of approval as the band walked off the stage.

The most beautiful thing that always hits me in the feels is seeing how strangers come together to share a moment in time. The vulnerability was in the air as everyone gave the same amount of passion as the band members. This show reminded me how beautiful music is for the soul. I was impressed by BMTH‘s killer performance and their show is bucket list worthy for anyone who is a fan.