BLESSTHEFALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR REVIEW

Toronto went hard at the Velvet Underground on September 19th, 2018 for Blessthefall who was joined by A War Within, Thousand Below, Ded and The Word Alive. These guys are now on a month-long tour across North America and people from all over the Greater Toronto Area showed up to fill the venue for this concert.

When I first arrived the lineup was already down the sidewalk; I checked in and found a spot up front with the VIP. The Velvet Underground is a pretty intimate venue where bands sell their merch and chill right out in the open, it also offers a low stage that allows fans to get right up close and personal. This type of setting makes for really fantastic concert experiences but, it also makes it scary for someone like me who has a lot of gear to carry around and no safe spot to stand! Metal shows get rough and sweaty and the good ones (like this one) make you feel like you’re at an awesome house party with a bunch of friends, but they can get rowdy. These types of concerts are my absolute favorite to attend, so I was definitely excited to have the opportunity to cover it on behalf of IMPRINT.

 

The opening band was A War Within, a Metalcore group from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Spencer Maybe (Vocals), Nikhil Rao (Guitar and Vocals), Zac Bardsley (Bass) and Roy Guldenpfennig (Drums) who perfectly set the mood for the entire night. Their first song had everyone crammed in around me bobbing along. Each band member played hard; tearing up the stage and jumping off the drum kit; it was wild.

This band was interesting because after the first song, the vocalists switched up spots and the set continued with them in their new positions. I had never seen A War Within prior to that night, so I am still unsure if this is a typical thing or not, but I found it a unique aspect to their band. It’s nice to see such a range of talent and they killed their set, prepping the crowd for the coming bands. It was the perfect start to the night. If you’re looking to get hyped up and headbang, A War Within is the band to check out.
View a sneak peek video of them playing live here.
View more photos of them here.

 

Next to play was Thousand Below, a Post-Hardcore band from San Diego, California, consisting of James DeBerg (vocals), Devin Chance (Guitar), Josh Thomas(Guitar), Josh Billimoria (Bass) and Garrett Halvax (Drums).

James had great clean vocals with an impressive range of high rough vocals too and I was impressed by the intensity from the guitarists, bassist and drummer. I don’t know how someone can spin while headbanging so much, or hit so hard without making weird faces and still slay their instruments, but it was a very fun set to watch. If you’re looking to feel some crazy energy, Thousand Below is the band to check out.
View a sneak peek video of them playing live here.
View more photos of them here.

 

Next to play was Ded, a heavy metal group from Phoenix Arizona consisting of Joe Cotela (Vocals), David Ludlow (Guitar), Kyle Koelsch (Bass), and Matt Reinhard (Drums) who gave me Halloween horror in September and I LOVED IT. For real, Ded had a contagious energy that spread throughout the venue. There was a post-apocalyptic vibe given off with their zombie white contact lenses and glitchy lighting that mixed perfectly with their hard sound. Fans in the crowd were screaming out their lyrics at times and throwing down in an epic mosh pit just behind the VIP; I was envious that I couldn’t join in!

Ded put on a solid set that was full of a consistent sound and an interesting light show. If you’re looking to see a really great band and are okay coming home with a few rad new bruises, Ded would be the band to check out.
View a sneak peek video of them playing live here.
View more photos of them here.

 

Next to play was The Word Alive, a Metalcore band who is also from Phoenix Arizona consisting of Telle Smith (Vocals), Tony Pizzuti (Guitar and Backing Vocals), Zack Hansen (Guitar and Backing Vocals) and Matt Horn (Drums). This band has serious passion when they’re on stage, I realized very quickly into their set. You can tell that they love being up on stage and playing for fans who come out for a late night in the middle of the week.

They absolutely tore up the stage and there was energy from every single member. They had fans from the front of the room right to the back of the room singing along with their relatable lyrics. At one point, Telle asked for all the stage lighting to be shut off and for the crowd to turn on their phones to light up the stage for their song ‘Misery’. Not only did that moment make for some really cool photos, but it was also the thing that stood out to me the most that night. The Word Alive put on a powerful set and if you’re looking for a memorable concert experience, they are the band to check out.
View a sneak peek video of them playing live here.
View more photos of them here.

 

Headlining the night was Blessthefall from Phoenix Arizona made up of Beau Bokan (Vocals), Eric Lambert (Guitar and Backing Vocals), Jared Warth (Bass and Backing Vocals), Elliott Gruenberg (Guitar) and  Matt Traynor (Drums) and this band was the primary reason I was excited to attend this show. I’ve been a fan for a long time, seen them live once before and knew they were going to put on a fantastic set. Before they even stepped foot on stage, the crowd whistled and clapped for them, so the moment they did appear, everyone went wild. I think a mosh pit probably even started before the first song kicked in, that is how stoked and ready people were for this band to perform.

Blessthefall gives energy, power, and serious love through their sets. Each member gave their all during their performance and got right up in the crowd with their fans. Actually, these guys let their fans up on stage with them. I watched as a constant line of people went body surfing through the venue. They would pile up to the stage where Beau, not security, Beau, would help them up and then send them jumping back into the middle of the pit again. It was hilariously awesome to watch.

Blessthefall were so personable and funny! They performed directly for fans recording live videos on social media, posed for photos, singled out a fan for birthday wishes, gave high fives, held onto people hands, and shared the mic with excited fans. I loved seeing how happy and impressed they were by the turnout too, they are very humble people and it was refreshing to be around.

Truthfully, in all the concerts I have gone to, I’ve never seen so much love like I did when Blessthefall performed their set. There was no line or barrier with them on stage, just a bunch of people having a great time all around. There’s a reason they’re a headlining band that’s for sure, and if you haven’t heard of them before, you should check them out now. If you’re looking to go to a show that you’ll talk about for years to come and make some new pals during the night, Blessthefall is the band to see.
View a sneak peek video of them playing live here.
View more photos of them here.

This entire show was one heck of a cool experience for me to be a part of. The highlight of the night for me was the moment The Word Alive asked for the crowd to light up the stage for them and watching the excitement from the audience during Blessthefall, but all bands put on solid sets.I would absolutely see every single one of them again! For anyone else interested in checking them out, you can see if they’re playing in your city by viewing tour dates HERE.

Keep up to date with all things A War Within by checking out their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Youtube. Check out the newest music video below.

Keep up to date with all things Thousand Below by checking out their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Youtube. Check out the newest music video below.

Keep up to date with all things Ded by checking out their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Youtube. Check out the newest music video below.

Keep up to date with all things The Word Alive by checking out their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Youtube. Check out the newest music video below.

Keep up to date with all things Blessthefall by checking out their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Youtube. Check out the newest music video below.