Here in the South, it’s not entirely unheard of for people to avoid any and all outdoor activities to escape the heat. Texas is no exception to his rule on most days, but when it comes to live music people don’t mess around.
This past Saturday (May 31st) in Austin, fans lined up around the side of Come And Take It Live – a venue that boasts a capacity of 750 people. The draw? A double headlining tour. The Word Alive and The Funeral Portrait, supported by Melrose Avenue, and Lift the Curse, a band of Texas natives who took the stage first.
There was no time wasted with getting bodies moving in the crowd. The energy was high and it was clear by the smiles of the band on stage that the already loyal fans that they’ve been accumulating locally are very much appreciated. While many in the audience were simply there for the vibes, there were pockets of people singing along enthusiastically, showing that Lift The Curse’s 45k monthly listeners on Spotify are well-earned.
Lift The Curse
Between sets, there was a buzz that started to heighten. Just before the show, Melrose Avenue had conducted a meet and greet for fans who were now eagerly awaiting what they’d come to the show for. As a four-piece band all the way from Sydney, Australia, the boys of Melrose (as well as The Funeral Portrait and The Word Alive) have been along for the ride with Ice Nine Kills for their Silver Scream-a-Thon tour.
You would never know just how far from home the four men are, nor would you be able to pick up on the exhaustion that’s no doubt clawing at them from being on the road the last two months. From the very moment they set foot beneath the stage lights it was all high energy and the very obvious feeling of a group of people who are doing something that they love.
Sometime mid-set, vocalist Vlado Saric expressed the band’s gratitude and how humbling it is to come from all the way across the world to a place like Texas just to have a crowd singing their lyrics back to them- including their most recent single, “Reflection”. Even with their final and most popular song “Suffering”, being something full of heavy lyrics and a deeper subject matter, it didn’t dampen the feeling in the room. There was a genuine connection between fans and the band for the entire set and it truly left the crowd feeling hyped.
Melrose Avenue
While many artists use the same typical playlist between sets for full tours, there’s a certain something about hearing “Goodbye Earl” and “Jolene” playing over the speakers in the middle of a rock show. It’s a good reminder of just the sort of vibe that The Funeral Portrait brings to the table. Even their “entrance” song, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” lays down a fairly clear tone of the band’s overall “branding” so to speak.
Right from the get-go these boys from Atlanta hit the stage “like bats outta hell” (as Southerners say). The decision to open with “Generation Psycho” was very obviously a good one as the crowd was immediately in a frenzy.
It’s an incredibly interactive set, and it’s transparent just how much this band enjoys getting personal with their fans. There’s so much back and forth between fans and musicians alike that the excitement is palpable. The combination of classics like “Dark Thoughts” and relatively newer songs (released on the album Greetings From Suffocate City just last year) like “Hearse For Two” drew out an emotional response from the audience, with many hands held for comfort and more than a few tears shed.
With the set ending on the mass insanity that was “Suffocate City”, fans were left sweating, out of breath, but most importantly, completely elated and well-fulfilled. After a performance like that, there’s no question as to how the band has been within the top 10 of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay charts on more than one occasion.
The Funeral Portrait
It was interesting to see the crowd thin minutely between the two final bands. Those who were there for The Funeral Portrait wove their way out of the crowd, but that is most certainly not to say that their spots weren’t immediately filled by fans of The Word Alive. The shift was immediate, and there was the same buzz in the air- anticipation and excited cheers even just at the stage lights being tested, and microphones being checked one final time.
When the band got on stage, the entire room exploded, and with the very first chord of “The Word Alive Is Dead…”, there was absolutely no question what kind of set this would be.
The band, originally formed in Phoenix, Arizona, is known for its high-energy material, something that has given them a multitude of opportunities with absolute powerhouses like Motionless in White, and A Day to Remember.
By the time “NO WAY OUT” started as their fourth song, we finally had our first mosh pit of the night, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Every song one after the other had the crowd jumping, head-banging, and overall just living their best lives. There’s something that’s always so magical about watching fans truly enjoying themselves, screaming back the lyrics that mean so much to them (while also being slammed into by other fans who are screaming those very same lyrics just as loudly).
It’s easy to say, though, that maybe the biggest hype in the room was when Telle (lead vocals) announced that they would be playing the single that they had released just the day before, “Eyes Above”. It showed exactly how dedicated the crowd was to see people singing along with all of their hearts to a song that had just barely been put into the world 24 hours earlier.
The Word Alive
At the end of it all, we are all reminded of a similar sentiment, if the smiles on peoples’ faces were anything to go by. Live music is where it’s at. A night full of new friends and old friends. Conversations that mean nothing and everything all at once, and getting to sing at the top of your lungs to songs that speak to your heart will always be a healing experience- there isn’t anything quite like it.
Suffice it to say, the night held something special for all involved, and that was made obvious by the fact that the bands all came out to their prospective merch booths after the show to say hello and give heartfelt thank you’s to fans for their continued support.
