The Tracing Back Roots Tour made it’s way through Cleveland at the Agora Theatre on November 1st, 2013. The lineup included:
Photography and commentary by Lena Diamond Photography
Dangerkids was the first opening band to perform for this tour. Being a band from Dayton, they were very enthusiastic about being so close to home. Andy Bane is the lead vocalist and Tyler Smyth is the “emcee” for the band, giving Dangerkids a very distinct sound. They seem somewhat reminiscent of Linkin Park but with a metalcore feel. As strange as it sounds, once their vocals, rapping and electronica instrumentals intermingle, it is quite pleasant. They are striving to create something fun and different and I feel as though they are succeeding. Their energy and interaction with the fans make them seem like a band that you can easily confide in. Dangerkids might be out of your comfort zone, but give them a shot.
The Color Morale has had a booming fanbase since the release of their newest album Know Hope. With lyrics like “You need to get through what you are going through, someday, someone, somewhere will need you”, their fans feel at home with their music. They get a sense that they have worth, despite having a negative mindset sometimes. The new record was out of vocalist Garret Rapp’s comfort zone when it came to the subject matter of the new songs. The lyrics are highly personal and root back to issues such as sexual abuse. As Garret said during The Color Morale’s set, he likes to make himself readily available to fans by sharing stories with each other at their merch table after shows. The Color Morale is about being a community and engaging with one another and ridding that feeling of isolation we may feel at some points in our lives. Garret repeatedly let fans sing the lyrics of these songs as he tossed his microphone into the swarming crowd. It was nice to see this sense of sincerity from a band.
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! from Paris, France picked things up after The Color Morale. You can tell that they were there to have a good time and wanted everyone to dance. Their pop-punk/metalcore influences gave this tour another very diverse band on the lineup. I saw Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! a while back when they were on tour with Of Mice & Men and they definitely cleaned up significantly since then. They have a relatively new album out entitled Pardon My French.
My high school self was pretty stoked when Silverstein performed. It seemed like the crowd was literally bursting through the barricade. I was not quite familiar with their new tunes though. Then they played the song “The Ides Of March” and I was caught off guard when I caught myself singing the lyrics word for word without hearing the song in years. I’m glad my love for Silverstein was rediscovered in a sense. Their live performance was phenomenal and clean. It was very refreshing. One can tell how far they have come as a band and they deserve all the support that comes their way.
Before We Came As Romans even made their anticipated appearance, I was really impressed with the way their set looked. The entire back wall was their album artwork from their new record Tracing Back Roots, which looked pretty badass. As soon as they made their presence on stage, there was nobody standing still. We Came As Romans asked for a circle pit during their very first song to get things started. They radiated such an energy that was apparently overwhelming to some fans. We Came As Romans fans in the pit are pretty dedicated individuals. The sound coming from the monitors was pretty crisp most of the time making it a much more enjoyable experience. Their set included their cover of “Glad You Came” off of Punk Goes Pop 5. Garret Rapp of The Color Morale even did guest vocals during the song “Present, Future, And Past”. Their encore songs were “Hope” and “To Plant A Seed”, which is one of their most popular songs. I was happy to see they played such a variety of their music. It was actually pretty difficult to photograph their set because of crowdsurfers galore. It’s always awesome seeing kids have such a good time at these shows. There’s always something interesting about capturing a fan’s emotions when their favorite band is performing right in front of them. They had beautiful lights and fog to intensify them mood. We Came As Romans’ sound has really developed over the years. One can tell the progression they have made in the music scene. They deserve every ounce of positive responses they have obtained.
More photos from this set are also available on We Came As Romans’ official blog here!
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