When the American Dream Tour was first announced towards the end of 2013, excitement overwhelmed the hard rock/metal scene for its outstanding lineup. With the already very popular headlining act, Bring Me The Horizon, the red hot Of Mice & Men provides vital support, resulting in a sold out tour to kick off 2014. The amazing success from Bring Me The Horizon’s latest album, Sempiternal, has sparked this great step in their career, as well as Of Mice & Men, who have just dropped their game-changing record, Restoring Force, this January. Due to some of the biggest names in rock being on this tour, the line-up is completed by exciting metalcore bands, Issues, letlive., and Northlane that have been slowly rising to the same fame as these headliners. The immense popularity of the tour provoked such a fast sellout of the first date announced in New York City that a second date was added for March 1st, which followed suit and sold out as well. For the first of two sold out shows in New York City, an eager crowd gathered at Best Buy Theater on Friday February 28th to experience the energy and fun of the American Dream Tour.
Since letlive. covered the first half of the tour dates, the opening band for the evening was Northlane, an ambient metalcore group from Australia. After already reaching success in their home country and having started to make their mark in America, their presence on the American Dream Tour proves their worth. After starting their set with “Genesis” into “Scarab”, they immediately warmed up to the crowd with their heavy and intense sound. Every song they played was from their 2013 release Singularity, showing off its highlights. The crowd continued to move their feet as they moshed to “Windbreaker” and were roused by favorites like “Dream Awake” and “Quantum Flux.” Lead singer Adrian Fitipaldes fed off the enthusiastic crowd and conveyed emotion and power throughout every track. Fitipaldes’ excitement lasted the duration of the band’s time on stage with engagement of audience members, pointing at them playfully and high-fiving as many leaning over the barricade as possible. Northlane’s set was definitely a great way to start out the night.
Next up was the highly anticipated Issues. With the release of their debut self-titled album only weeks before, fans in the audience were itching to be able to see to them perform live. The second they began their set with “Stingray Affliction”, the crowd went wild. It will be interesting to see where this band goes with already such an immense following. Their fun sound of heavy metal influences mixed with R&B/EDM elements make every song upbeat and exhilarating. They balanced their new songs and older ones, playing the groovy “Love Sex Riot” and their hit “King of Amarillo”, both from their first EP, Black Diamonds. The crowd swayed to the catchy beat of “Never Lose Your Flames” and picked up the pace when the breakdowns of “The Settlement” came into play. Issues ended the set with their anthem “Hooligans”, which offered the best combination of party beats and heavy tempos to keep the energy flowing for the next band to rock. Issues entire set was full of nonstop energy projected by the entire band.
By the time Of Mice & Men hits the stage, the crowd was more than ready to go nuts. As soon as the introduction to “Bones Exposed” began, the fans were on their feet as frontman Austin Carlile led the way. Throughout the set, Carlile hopped around the stage interacting with the crowd, getting people to jump, and collecting personal notes from fans. They played a surprisingly large amount of older songs from The Flood, considering the recent release of their newest record Restoring Force. Nevertheless, they interested the audience by reviving old traditions like the “OG Loko” wall of death and the craziness of “The Depths”. When they did infuse songs from their new record, the choices included crowd-pleasers like “Would You Still Be There” and “You’re Not Alone”. With the combination of a balanced set list and an energetic attitude from the band, they left a lasting impression for the rest of the night.
From the first penetrating note of “Can You Feel My Heart”, Bring Me The Horizon’s wall of intensity immediately impacted the atmosphere of Best Buy Theater. The band powered though their set with the heavily haunting sound of their music and the help of the passionate crowd. Giving their set variety they managed to rough up the mood when incorporating older songs such as “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” and “Chelsea Smile”. Vocalist Oliver Sykes appeared completely immersed in his performance with ear tingling emotion in his delivery and sincere facial reactions. Keeping things interesting “And the Snakes Start to Sing” slowed down the pace of the show, engulfing fans in a sea of ambiance.
As the storm settled the band blasted into “Antivist”, the powerfully angry anthem of Sempiternal, leaving their audience satisfied from every angle . Just when you thought the thrill was over, the boys came back onto the stage for an encore of current major hit “Sleepwalking”. Ending the evening on a high note, it concluded the American Dream Tour with its strong and memorable impact on the crowd. This was an event not to be missed and showcased the strength in numbers these top bands have.
Overall, the American Dream Tour is a necessity on every metalcore enthusiast’s calendar. The remarkable lineup consists of big names and small, all with equal potential to create an incredible show. If they haven’t reached your area yet, it is encouraged that you pick up a ticket and experience such an exciting group of bands.
No comment