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| Credit: Emily Racanelli |
Words by: Emily Racanelli
In the midst of a generation pushing out alternative music in exchange for mainstream pop, Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens are on a mission to prove that pop-punk will not go down without a fight! After all, the two bands, who co-headlined a lengthy run entitled The World Tour, sold out Manhattan’s 2,200 capacity Hammerstein Ballroom on Tuesday February 17. (Keep in mind this was less than three months after 2 consecutive sold out shows in Long Island!) With fans standing outside in below freezing weather for over eight hours just to be on their feet for another four hours during the show, to say expectations were high would be an understatement.
At 6:45 pm, fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to come on, (it’s always a bonus when the show begins unexpectedly!) Massachusetts natives PVRIS took the stage. It’s rare to see a band compose a setlist entirely off one album, but everything about PVRIS is rare. Let’s start with the lead singer, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen (better known as Lynn Gunn). Despite being under the weather with respiratory issues, her vocals were on point. If you were to do a side by side comparison between a recorded version of the songs and her live performance, it would be nearly impossible to tell the difference. She hit every note effortlessly, while simultaneously playing the guitar. I applaud Lynn’s remarkable ability to play, sing, and interact with the crowd. At the beginning of “St. Patrick” the overtly rowdy audience began a mosh pit. Lynn promptly stopped to song to discourage any violence and help get younger fans into a safer area. When the band’s most popular song resumed, the crowd, most of whom did not know PVRIS, was going crazy. Bassist Brian Macdonald slung his instrument over his shoulder to play the synth parts as guitarist Alex Babinski danced around the stage until the 25 minute set was over.
Next up was Mallory Knox, fresh out of the U.K. For a group of guys who had never done a U.S. tour, they seemed to fare pretty well. The scratchy vocals and ear pounding bass drums had the whole crowd swaying, even when (like PVRIS) most of the audience had never heard of these guys before they took the stage. Even if you didn’t know the words to their songs, it was impossible to not be entertained by vocalists Mikey Chapman, who bounced from one side of the stage to the other and definitely earned his band a bunch of new fans.
After Mallory Know, a curtain adorning the shadow girl from Pierce The Veil’s Collide With The Sky album cover obstructed everyone’s view from the stage. The intro to “Hell Above” played until the curtain dropped and the drums came in. It wasn’t just an entrance, but a theatrical performance, slowly building anticipation. Throughout the 50 minute set, this San Diego quartet kept the audience highly entertained. Bassist Jaime Preciado dominated stage right with his constant jumping up and down off the elevated platform in front of him. He sung, or rather screamed, the aggressive background vocals perfectly. The highlight was on the chorus of “Caraphernelia” a part originally screamed by A Day To Remember frontman Jeremy McKinnon. The entire verse is done in a low octave, something that is very difficult to attain without coughing up a lung. Preciado did it flawlessly. Of course, Pierce The Veil would be nothing without lead singer/guitarist Vic Fuentes. His voice in unlike any other in the industry. He sounds nothing like he does on the records, but this is not a bad thing! He sings unusually high for a man and sounds as if every note is strained and scratchy. I have never heard another artist like him. He is certainly not the most talented vocalist, but definitely the most unique. It stood out most when he did a solo acoustic performance of “I’m Low On Gas and You Need a Jacket.” In a matter of seconds, the entire crowd was captivated and singing along. The most memorable moment had to be when Vic palm muted his guitar and smiled as the audience sung the bridge on their own. It wasn’t just the songs that were entertaining. After the set, latin music was played on a track and drummer Mike Fuentes came back on stage to did some spontaneous dancing for the crowd. This is definitely a group of guys with a ton personality!
Whenever I see them, it isn’t just about the music, but about creating a memorable night for the fans.
Sleeping With Sirens closed out the show. They opened with “Kick Me” the first single off new album Madness. It was the perfect choice to get the crowd pumped, given it is curse-laden and filled with anger. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love moshing around while screaming “You don’t sh*t! You don’t know sh*t!” After all, that is the essence of a pop-punk concert, right? They slowed things down halfway through the set with an outstanding acoustic cover of “Iris” originally done by the Goo Goo Dolls. Vocalist Kellin Quinn’s near falsetto voice conveyed the raw emotion of the lyrics. He felt every word he said, and it’s safe to say the audience did too, especially when he yelled “Yeah you bleed just to know you’re alive.” Another new song in the set was “Go, Go, Go.” It’s catchy chorus had the crowd going wild, something relatively surprising considering the song had only been released a few week prior to the show. It says something about the amazing fan base SWS has that everyone already knew the words. The show was closed out with one of the most popular SWS songs, “If You Can’t Hang.” Confetti was blasted into the crowd as everyone sung along until the music slowly faded out, leaving Quinn and the fans to finish off with the line “Would you please stay and please be mine?”
At that point, the final line of the set wasn’t just part of the song, but a legitimate question. All I wanted at that moment was to stay and sing another 20 songs. The World Tour was a captivating experience complete with a diverse lineup and boisterous crowd. Be sure to catch all four bands (Sleeping With Sirens is playing only select dates) on the Vans Warped Tour this summer!
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| Credit: Emily Racanelli |
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