Thursday night was a hot, sweaty, and joyous evening at The Bomb Factory as Underoath rolled into town with Dance Gavin Dance, Veil of Maya, and Limbs. Reunited after a six year absence, Underoath returned earlier this year with a new album, Erase Me, and came to Dallas inspired and invigorated. The huge crowd on hand indicated that their absence was sorely missed and they were rewarded with a fantastic evening of music.
Limbs set the evening in motion around 7:00pm as the crowd was still filing in and getting the first drinks of the night. Once Limbs took the stage, they began an assault on the senses that never let up. They were high energy and action packed on all fronts. You’d be wise to pay attention to these gents as they come up in the scene. Vocalist Chris Costanza brought the crowds energy up and set a massive tone for the rest of the bands that followed. Veil of Maya kicked everyone’s ass. A kinetic ball of fury, the band roared through their set. Inspiring mosh pits and general mayhem, Veil of Maya is one of the more underrated bands touring today. Vocalist Lukas Magyar has an uncanny ability of going from howl to growl on the turn of a dime. He led the bands charge, but never overshadowed the excellent musicians behind him.
There were hundreds of Dance Gavin Dance t-shirts in the crowd and, needless to say the bands fanbase was out in full-force. Perhaps telling of the age of their fans, cell phones were immediately out and recording from the bands first song. These guys put on a solid set that was met with a huge response from the crowd. Lead guitarist Will Swan is an excellent player. He does lots of creative stuff with his leads and solos and held my attention throughout their set. Overall, this band is boring as shit. They have zero angst. Sure, they “rock” in the technical term of the word, but they didn’t have any shred of the visceral and passionate that makes a good band great. Doubtless, many will disagree with me as the crowd loved their set.
By the time Underoath took the stage, the crowd had properly been primed and were ready to let it all hang out. The crowd immediately began to dance, mosh, and sing-along from first song to last. And when I say sing-along, I mean two thousand some-odd fans singing word for word. Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain would often let the crowd handle the chorus or hooks and they filled the gaps admirably. The band played several songs from their latest album, but more than half the set came from their classic material from Define the Great Line, They’re Only Chasing Safety, and Lost in the Sound of Separation. The band fed off the energy of the crowd and never once seemed like there was somewhere else they’d rather be. With more than a month’s worth of shows under their belt, they fired on all cylinders. Each song was precisely performed, yet completely raw and feral. There’s no question about this bands relevance. The crowd loved every minute of their performance, and likewise – the band loved Dallas.
– J. Kevin Lynch (words); Brently Kirksey (photos)
– click to enlarge photos –
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