blessthefall & Silverstein: Alive and (Very) Well

Silverstein, blessthefall
Studio Seven, Seattle, Wa
05.09.14

What a sight for sore eyes. Something about walking through the doors of Studio Seven tonight brought Martini and myself back. Dot dot dot. Way back.

Back to a time when we had very little responsibility and laughable life smarts. We did, however, know how awesome Silverstein was, thanks to a recommendation from fellow Victory band Aiden. And, even after years of lineup and label swaps, Silverstein and blessthefall stood tonight in front of a crowd boasting an age range they should be proud of. They have, and continue to, rock.

Silverstein came out full steam and began their set with their new single, Stand Amid the Roar, from their latest album This Is How the Wind Shifts. The kids in the crowd looked like someone had set their feet on fire. Immediately a pit of flying limbs formed, and a mass of 16 year old girls had to make a hasty decision as to how much they coveted their spot. I hope they like shoes to the face.

Silverstein’s music was nothing less than perfect as they jammed through 12 songs played retrograde chronologically. Your Sword Versus My Dagger was especially fun, as drummer Paul Koehler’s non-stop pounding edged him closer to stealing the limelight. Their newest member, guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau, has certainly earned his spot on stage, holy sneakers and all.

Beau Bokan, the new front man for blessthefall, took over the energized audience in the blink of an eye, beginning their set with Exodus. Performing with a great concoction of humor, energy, gratitude, and heart, blessthefall can take their place as genuine standouts of metalcore. With the crowd in a tizzy, Bokan challenged the crowd surfers to get up and high five him before diving back in. Relay race, show style. He may have bit off more than he could chew as the stage became quickly overwhelmed. The night seemed like a nonstop party until the very last song of the encore, Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted.

The Hollow Bodies tour opened tonight with Heartist and The Amityville Affliction, whose stage presence perfectly encompassed the passion in the show. Heartist lead singer Bryce Beckley took phones from around the room and shot videos of the chaos before returning them to their owner. The Amityville Affliction screamed their way through the set, building momentum in the crowd and returning the love as they methodically cleared the stage of bodies. This is what happens when you rock.

Silverstein set list:

Stand Amid the Roar
Sacrifice
Massachusetts
On Brave Mountains We Conquer
The Artist
Your Sword Versus My Dagger
Vices
My Heroine
Texas Mickey
Smashed into Pieces
(Encore):
To Live and to Lose
Smile in Your Sleep

blessthefall set list:
Intro
Exodus
Hollow Bodies
2.0
What’s Left of Me
Déjà Vu
See You on the Outside
Bottomfeeder
Youngbloods
Promised Ones
Guys Like You Make Us Look Bad
Rise Up
You Wear a Crown But You’re No King
(Encore):
Flatline
Meet Me at the Gates
Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted