TILIAN AT HOUSE OF INDEPENDENTS IN ASBURY PARK
Tilian made his way back to House of Independents in Asbury Park for another round of his “Skeptic Tour” with support from Landon Tewers, Brent Walsh, and RIVALS. This tour was especially interesting getting to see the solo projects; all from members who would be familiar if you listened to bands such as Dance Gavin Dance, The Plot in You, and/or I The Mighty.
Opening up the show were local New Jersey natives Visenya. The turnout for the opener was actually quite good to see having played so close to doors. The band had the crowd bopping around and interacting throughout the set. Visenya definitely helped to set the tone for the rest of the acts.
Playing next were RIVALS, and if you’ve ever had the chance to experience a set from them you knew you were in for some high-energy fun. The band captivated the audience with their use of single drums for a drum off between guitarist Mickett Woodle and bassist Sebastian Clarke, as well as the most intense head banging from vocalist Kalie Wolfe. RIVALS are definitely a must see band if you haven’t already had the chance to check them out!
When Brent Walsh took the stage to perform, some familiar faces were seen in his backing band including fellow I The Mighty bandmate Ian Pedigo on guitar, and A Lot Like Birds’ Michael Franzino on bass. Up until this point I had no idea that Brent Walsh had a solo project, but I’ve surely been missing out. Walsh is a very impressive vocalist and gave the audience some good laughs about drinking quicker than others because it was their first day off the following day.
Landon Tewers was another artist on this tour whose band I’m familiar with, but had no idea he had a solo project. Tewers’ vocals were always so powerful for me to hear live, and this time around was no different. Hearing his mix of singing and screams for his project was truly a treat. Another familiar face joined him onstage as part of the band backing him – RIVALS drummer Josh Alves. In addition to a fantastic performance, Tewers had the funniest banter out of all the acts. His joking attitude was great to see as he constantly messed around with his DJ Miles.
When it was finally time for Tilian to hit the stage, you could feel a volt of energy and excitement weaving through the crowd. Tilian opened his set with “Gone” from his latest album “The Skeptic”. Throughout his set he played an array of songs from across his solo discography including “Heartfelt”, “True”, and “Cocky”. More familiar faces were seen in his backing band as well – Ian Pedigo on guitar, Michael Franzino on bass, and fellow Dance Gavin Dance bandmate Matt Mingus on drums. When Tilian performed his single “Back to Life”, Brent Walsh came out and joined him on stage to sing Johnny Craig’s parts. The performance left me with goose bumps. Throughout the entire performance Tilian exhibited such incredible control of his voice and really got the chance to show off his amazing range. He ended his set with the very powerful track “Favor the Gods”, and left the audience screaming for more.
The unique thing about this tour was the way that members from other bands were incorporated into the backing bands behind these solo artists. The display of talent from each act on this tour was so impressive. If you have the chance to make it out to any of the dates left, definitely make it a point to see it!
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!