Silverstein: Burn, Baby, Burn

Silverstein
El Corazon, Seattle, WA
01.25.15

Silverstein sold out the house in tidy fashion on Sunday, packing El Corazon to the brim with a familiar, anxious energy. Building up to the May release of their eighth full length album, I Am Alive In Everything I Touch, Silverstein once again takes to the road, this time in honor of the tenth anniversary of their 2005 release, Discovering the Waterfront. They are playing a heap of dates through April, bouncing from coast to coast, country to kingdom, in which they will be playing the entirety of Discovering the Waterfront, as well as some other goodies. For Silverstein fans, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Clicking into gear just before 10:00, Silverstein took the stage aflame, opening with “Smashed into Pieces.” Stationary lights lit up brilliant silhouettes of their five flailing forms, trailing into dark corners, before carefully timed beams of light brought them back to life. The crowd was immense, rumbling and thick with anticipation. After 15 some odd years, Silverstein still had the magic. Singer Shane Told spoke of eating vegan buffalo wings beforehand, and with such forceful vocals, was nearly vomiting on stage. Amid stifling heat, he gave out water bottles to the crowd as guards sprayed everyone down with water guns. Not of the sharing kind, one fan promptly spit his water out, to which Told and guitarist Josh Bradford gave him a righteous finger. Not cool. They encouraged the crowd to make a circle pit, and upon announcing one of their upcoming tracks, “A Midwestern State of Emergency,” the house nearly blew down. If this is any indication of things to come, Silverstein has certainly cemented their place in hardcore history.

Opening bands for this evening included My Iron Lung, Major League, Hands Like Houses, and Beartooth. My Iron Lung is based out of San Diego, and are gaining plenty of nods for their album Grief, which is everything heavy and passionate. Major League hails from New Jersey, and are out promoting their latest album, There’s Nothing Wrong With Me, just released in November. Joining this crew all the way from down under, Hands Like Houses is quickly gaining steam, leading off the heels of their second album and many noteworthy touring stints. Beartooth comes from humble Ohio roots, led by multi-instrumentalist Caleb Shomo, who single-handedly produced all aspects of their smash debut album, Disgusting. Individually, these bands can hold their own. Tonight was mayhem. Be sure to check them out, and don’t hesitate to catch them on their next stop.

Silverstein Set List:
Smashed Into Pieces
Massachusetts
The Artist
Stand Amid
Vices
A Midwestern State of Emergency
Bleeds No More
Your Sword vs. My Dagger
Smile In Your Sleep
Ides of March
Fist Wrapped in Blood
Discovering the Waterfront
Defend You
My Heroine
Always and Never
Already Dead
Three Hours Back
Call It Karma