Show Review – August Burns Red – Concord Music Hall (09.29.2021)

August Burns Red / Fit For A King / ERRA

Concord Music Hall

Chicago, IL

Sept. 29th, 2021

Its funny to look back and think that Leveler is ten years ago and getting its own full tour play through because I remember being at the Chicago stop of the Leveler tour ten years or so ago as a fan and wow do I feel old. ABR and the boys rolled through Chicago though on a warm falls night and showed why they continue to be one of metalcores top live bands.

Sadly I missed opener Like Moths To Flames but was able to catch ERRA. As a more progressive metalcore band ERRA has been gaining fans like crazy due to them releasing a stream of albums that gain quick notoriety for how great they are. The band showed it wasn’t just a recorded sound though as they blew through a set with great energy and technical skills.

Fit For A King pumped the crowd up even more busting through an 11 song set playing heavily from their 2020 release “The Path”. The band seemed to feed off the energy and pure happiness to be back on stage in Chicago as bassist Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary couldn’t stop jumping and spinning with the speed of Sonic The Hedgehog. FFAK also garnered the first crowd surfers of the evening as fans were flying over the barricade to sing every word with the band.

Coming out last though to a whirlwind of energy were the stars of the evening August Burns Red. Plowing through the entire Leveler album live was a momentous achievement to see as the album, in my opinion, is one of metalcores best of the last 10+ years. Live it sounded even better and heavier as well as the band has a technical skill to make it all look so easy. Jake Luhrs continues to be one of my favorite vocalists and front men of the genre as his stage presence is unmatched in energy at times as well the ability to draw the band members together into a coherent show to showcase their abilities.