AUGUST BURNS RED AT STARLAND BALLROOM IN SAYREVILLE
August Burns Red is celebrating 20 years of being a band this year. It’s hard to remember what things were like 20 years ago, but it’s a great accomplishment for a band to still be together after all these years. They took their anniversary tour to Sayreville, NJ, to stop at the famous Starland Ballroom. They said it was their 14th time playing at the venue!
They’re a metal band that pours emotion into their songs, and it shows on stage. They have toured with bands such as Bring Me The Horizon, Lamb of God, and Killswitch Engage. They have also played major festivals such as Vans Warped Tour, Aftershock, etc. They have been on the cover of Revolver magazine and landed on plenty of No. 1 charts.
Bleed From Within hit the stage first, and although I had never heard of them before, they blew me away. The lead singer Scott was so energetic and moved all around the stage. He was very photogenic! He interacted with the crowd at every moment he could get and could be seen fist bumping or pointing at them. The band explained that they’re going to Canada after this and that it’s their first tour in the US. The guitarists stood out because of their long hair flipping back and forth. Scott asked the crowd if they were having a good time and then asked them to make some noise for The Devil Wears Prada, the next opening act, and why we were all there that night, August Burns Red. He explained that they were from Scotland and were so happy to be on tour. You could see the crowd moving all over the place during their set and even doing a death wall.
Next to hit the stage was one of my favorite bands, The Devil Wears Prada. Before they walked on stage, an excellent intermission voice said, “Welcome to The Devil Wears P.” I’ve been listening to them since their first EP, Zombie, in 2010. They explained they had been on the road for a while and asked who was there to party. The lead singer Mike Hranica said he wanted to see more crowd surfers than Starland has ever seen! He wished them luck in the playoffs and even started a “Let’s Go Devils” chant, which is my favorite hockey team.
Last but not least was the band everyone was waiting for, August Burns Red. The crowd went wild, and the lead singer Jake Luhrs told the crowd to open it up. He said if you have long hair to headbang and told the crowd to start surfing too. At one point during the set, he slowed things down, got his guitar, and sang “Meridian”. After that, they played a new song; “Backfire”; their new album, Death Below, came out in March of this year and features appearances from members of Killswitch Engage, Underoath, All That Remains, and ERRA.
Next, they played an older song called “Mariana’s Trench” off their 2009 album Constellations. It was fantastic to hear some old and new songs mixed together. After that, the stage went black, and the crowd started to chant ABR. Suddenly, an announcement began with thousands in attendance and millions watching at home: “Let’s get ready to rumble! Ladies and gentlemen, give it to Matt Greiner.” He played an impressive drum solo and even made eye contact with my camera from across the venue!
Jake went on to say that it’s essential to continue to write music because fans resonate with something in the music. He explained how many connections they made during the meet and greet. Jake thanked the crowd for being with them for 20 years. He then asked if everyone wanted to hear one more; they said yes, then he surprised them and said they’ll be playing two more. He said he wanted the audience to do a circle pit at the beginning of each song, and the crowd did not disappoint!