By Kellie Green- VitalityXposed
No one packs a house on a Tuesday night like metalcore fans and Kansas City proved that with a sweaty, nearly sold out Tuesday night at Uptown Theater.
With a lineup that kicked off with Avoid and closed out with Dayseeker, the energy was non-stop from the time you stepped foot in the door to the Backstreet Boys and Neil Diamond blaring over the speakers to pre-game the ears and lube up the vocal cords. Avoid, rocking all the way from Seattle, Washington, came out to warm up the stage and they came out GUNS BLAZIN. They hit the stage so hard and fast it took me a beat or two to get my bearings. Their set had barely begun before singer Benny Scholl took a no-hesitation leap of faith into the crowd and was welcomed with open rock fists. These guys are ELECTRIC with contagious energy and a fiery momentum that indicates we are going to be seeing a lot of them.
While Avoid was a hard, fast, and heavy shot of 180 proof on an empty stomach, Rain City Drive came on next as the cool and smooth chaser. They have such a calm and cool stage demeanor, polished off with top tier talent and genuine emotion dripping off every lyric and beat that invokes pure admiration and respect. So much so that when Matt McAndrew said “do you all mind if I tie my shoe” and knelt down to get his kicks right, the crowd went wild. You know the fans are real when they even lose it over a loop, swoop, and pull moment.
But Matt cares just as much about their fans as we do about them, as seen by the high fives given to the wave of crowd surfers rollin up to the stage. He not only acknowledged every surfer that came his way, but towards the end of the set he jumped down from the stage to greet the ones who kept their feet on the ground. All of the RCD guys clearly love what they do and feel every moment. It’s written all over their faces from the first cord to the last. They’re truly a band of the people and we love to see it.
Third up on the bill was the power house that is Silent Planet. Dropping from the rock n’ roll solar system straight onto the stage they hit the ground running with the energy of 1000 suns. Their chaotic vitality was complimented with chaotic lights and visuals, many of which stemmed from projections, a unique enhancement that not only amplified their production but told a tale. Their set takes you on a rollercoaster of metal emotions, making their vocals not the only component full of range. Even with singer Garrett Russell’s long locks covering his face, his body language alone exudes emotion. Silent Planet is certainly anything but silent and they’re make a LOT of noise both on the stage and in the scene.
With little time to recover from the trinity of talent preceding the headliner, Dayseeker took the stage to close out the night. Not enough can be said about the pure skill that radiates from every fiber of these guys. The anticipation for them to step out onto that stage was so thick in the air you could cut it. And man did they deliver amidst a whirlwind of galaxy colored lights.
If you haven’t screamed “Sleeptalk” or “Neon Grave” or “Crooked Soul” or let’s face it… anything Dayseeker has released… while flying down the highway having a breakdown, give it a shot. But as liberating as that is, screaming those lyrics out with them live is a next level experience. And talk about a rollercoaster of emotions, try screaming at the top of your lungs then falling into mopping your heart off the floor as front man Rory Rodriguez spills his own on stage about losing his dad. That raw vulnerability allows for such a deep connection with their fans that is simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful.
But the guys of Dayseeker have support from not only each other and their fans, but also every other band on this powerful bill. You get a sneak peak (spoiler alert) when Rory comes out during Rain City Drive’s set to BLESS the fans with their new collab “Medicate Me”, but then Benny, Garrett, and Matt each come out for different songs during the headlining set to melt all face and bring the show full circle again and again.
The entire show was an incredible ride, from start to finish and beyond. With a full range of next level talent and skill across the bill, the Dark Sun Worldwide tour is an explosion you do NOT want to miss. It will no doubt leave you in a Dreamstate.
Photo Gallery : Rain City Drive – Uptown Theatre (05.14.2024)
