UNDEROATH AT SANDS BETHLEHEM CENTER IN BETHLEHEM, PA
Underoath is back out on the road again for their “No Fix Tour” after the release of their new album ‘Erase Me’ and they have brought out a heavy set of bands for this tour – with support from Limbs, Veil of Maya, and Dance Gavin Dance. Bring all of your energy if you choose to hit a date on this one because you’re going to need it!
First to take the stage was post-hardcore band, Limbs. Right from the start, Limbs provided a set full of energy. The band’s heavy instrumentals and hard hitting vocals gave the crowd something to warm up to and set the tone for the rest of the night. The band made great use of the stage with how active they were in moving around. The most memorable part of the set was the bassist performing a very risky stage dive over a large space between the stage and barricade towards the end of their set.
Following Limbs on stage was Veil of Maya. For those who don’t know Veil of Maya, you would be surprised to hear such a heavy, full sound from just four people. The band produces an incredible amount of power live and there’s an intense amount of strength behind Lucas Magyar’s unbelievable low vocals. Their drummer, Sam Applebaum, makes drums look so effortless as he plays, and the technicality from Marc Okubo on guitar is nothing short of impressive. Dan Hauser is the king of majestic hair flips as he chugs away on a seven string bass, which provides the strong, heavy foundation for their songs. It was by this point that the mosh pits had already started to gain intensity, but who could blame attendees after hearing how powerful of a sound the band has?
Dance Gavin Dance hit the stage after Veil of Maya and played a killer set. The band brought back “Carl Barker”, a favorite of many in their fan base. It got the crowd going from the minute that they heard the distinct opening guitar riff. There were some technical difficulties during the first verse and part of the chorus that resulted in a very loud screeching sound coming from the PA system. However, the band performed impressively well under this pressure and never stopped playing. There was no waver in the sound with the exception of vocals which were unable to come through the speakers. Once fixed, it was almost as if nothing happened, the band just kept moving forward. Overall, Dance Gavin Dance are very strong performers. It is also clear that their vocalists, Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, like to have a little fun on stage as the two danced intermittently throughout the set. The guitar in many of their songs is more complex and Will Swan delivers these parts flawlessly. The band is set to release a new album in June and performed their single “Midnight Crusade” to help give the audience an idea of what they should look forward to next month.
Finally, after much anticipation, Underoath took the stage. They walked out after a short video that depicted imagery from their new album ‘Erase Me’. The stage lights started off dark and ominous as the familiar drum beat from “On My Teeth” started. The band opened their set up with this song from the new album and there was an immediate influx of crowd surfers as the members moved around the stage and put all their energy into their performance. There was no fooling around here. You could tell the band was absolutely giving it their all to deliver an incredible auditory and visual performance. The crowd descended into utter chaos as Spencer Chamberlain roared out his vocals. They played a healthy mix of new and old music to appeal to their fans of all eras of the band. After performing one of their biggest songs, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White”, the band took a short break before returning back to the stage for their two encores. To introduce their first encore, “Bloodlust”, Chamberlain took a couple minutes to make a very heartfelt speech about mental health. He made sure to thank his bandmate, Aaron Gillespie, for helping him through his dark times and stated, “For the first time in twelve years of going through this, I decided to say, ‘Hey man I need help’… There’s nothing wrong with asking. If you ever felt like you’ve been in a dark place, this record is for you.” He talked about his observations of mental health in the scene and how unfortunate it has been to see so many people fall victim to such a dark place, which is why he strongly advocated for seeking the help you might need to get back on track. His message of hope gave attendees the strong feeling of community that this scene of music boasts. Overall, the performance given by Underoath for this tour was an amazing experience for any fans of rock music.
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!