Asking Alexandria graced the stage at Gas Monkey Live and lead off with the new single, “Into the Fire,” from their new self-titled album. Danny Worsnop is a true showman, keeping the crowd enthralled and moving to every drop. As the intro for “Not the American Average” started, the entire crowd erupted with screams, the pit opened up, and the music took hold. Waves of bodies pushed forward, singing along to every word, and making the guys feel that hospitality Dallas is known for. Technical difficulties plagued the later part of their set with the computer malfunctioning and causing the backtrack to shutdown. Danny and Ben Bruce quelled the crowd with witty banter and smoothed over the difficulties until things were worked out. They played songs from a good portion of their catalog, but seemed to favor Stand Up and Scream the most. Ben Bruce had been out for the last three shows do to an ailment, but he certainly let it out on stage, covering every square inch he could – all while singing back up vocals at the same time. Asking Alexandria did not disappoint the fans who watched with smiles covering their faces.
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Black Veil Brides received a warm welcome from their legion of followers who packed the venue, almost filling it to the doors. The band started the night with “Faithless” off their self-titled album from 2014. “Wake Up” was the first song played from the new album, Vale, and it seemed to bring the crowd to another level as fists hit the air. Andy Biersack has seriously mastered his vocal prowess, smashing every note with power and clarity. He wowed every one in sight with charisma and a keen sense of style. Jinxx is a jack-of-all-trades, not only being a masterful guitarist, but also handling violin and piano on multiple tracks. Jake Pitts is quite the comedian, cracking jokes and snarky remarks at fellow band mates, Andy Biersack, Jinxx, Ashley Purdy, and Christan “CC” Coma, in between slaying his guitar and smashing some brilliant solos. It seemed like every person in the crowd knew every word to each song. There were brief moments of pit action that were enticed by the band and Jinx and Jake made the crowd feel loved by throwing out guitar picks throughout the night. This was my first time seeing Black Veil Brides and they honestly made a fan of me. I’m looking forward to seeing them again in the future. Not a single person left Gas Monkey Live disappointed on February 16th, 2018.
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– Brently Kirksey
02/19 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ El Rey Theater
02/20 – Tempe, Ariz. @ The Marquee
02/22 – Boise, Idaho @ Knitting Factory Concert House
02/23 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theater
02/24 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SoDo
02/25 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Vogue Theatre
02/27 – Spokane, Wash. @ Knitting Factory Concert House
03/01 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Warfield Theatre
03/02 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues
04/29 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Iron City
04/30 – Knoxville, Tenn. @ International
05/02 – Wallingford, Ct. @ Toyota Oakdale Theater
05/03 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom
05/04 – Richmond, Va. @ The National
05/05 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Carolina Rebellion
05/07 – Springfield, Mo. @ Gillioz Theater
05/08 – Memphis, Tenn. @ New Daisy Theater
05/09 – Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Diamond Ballroom
05/10 – Wichita, Kan. @ The Cotillion
05/12 – Sioux Falls, S.D. @ The District
05/13 – Somerset, Wis. @ Northern Invasion
05/14 – Omaha, Neb. @ Sokol Auditorium
05/16 – Joliet, Ill. @ The Forge
05/17 – Ft. Wayne, Ill. @ Pierre’s
05/18 – London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
05/19 – Columbus, Ohio @ Rock on the Range