Issues Invade NYC 10-9-17 w/ Volumes, Too Close To Touch, & Sylar

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October 20, 2017

Most Manic Mondays are a drag: fortunately for everyone who happened to be at the PlayStation Theater in New York City on Monday, October 9th, the beginning to their week suffered from none of these issues and was volumes above everyone else’s! Why is that, you ask? Well, Issues brought their Headspace Tour to the Big Apple on this date, along with a stellar line-up that includes Volumes, Too Close To Touch, and Sylar.

Issue’s headlining Headspace Tour is currently making its way through the U.S. Beginning on September 24th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the tour is currently meandering its way through 30 dates in 19 states, ending in Memphis, Tennessee on November 4th. With a stacked line-up of Issues, Volumes, Too Close To Touch, and New York’s own Sylar – this is a show that promised to deliver the heavy. For those in attendance in the Big Apple, their week began on one truly crazy note!

What better way to kick-off a New York gig with a band from, well, New York. Nu Metal/Metalcore outfit Sylar formed back in 2012 in Queens, and are currently promoting their sophomore release and Hopeless Records’ debut, Help! Fresh off their stint on this summer’s Warped Tour, the band – Singer Jayden Panesso, Guitarists Miguel Cardona and Dustin Jennings, Bassist Travis Hufton, and Drummer Thomas Veroutis – are now working hard to create their own niche and win over audiences on the Headspace Tour.

With Panesso in his trademark Sylar windbreaker, the band took the stage to one truly wild, hometown crowd. Starting off the set with “To Whom It May Concern,” there was a tremendous amount of love for Sylar coming off the PlayStation crowd. With the energy on high, the band launched into “Prescription Meditation,” “Gambit Rogue Delight,” and “Dark Daze.” Following this threesome, Panesso took a moment to address the crowd and promise that Sylar is not a band who wish to stand on stage and preach. However, it is important that their audience understand that the band stand for equality: there is no judgement on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion, as we are all the same; human. Sylar welcomes all!

With the crowd eating out of the palm of Panesso’s sweaty hand, the band launched into “Doubting Out,” “Assume,” and “Live/Breathe.” Clearly this particular trio of tracks were crowd favorites, as the audience’s voices filled the PlayStation Theater for “Assume,” while – when Panesso requested help on “Live/Breathe,” the crowd happily sang out: “What’s it like to live / What’s it like to breathe / I don’t know anymore!” With a highly receptive audience on the tips of their toes, Panesso jumped onto the barricade to show his hometown some love – and dish out copious high-fives – for the band’s closing number, “Soul Addiction.” With the crowd-surfers working overtime to reach the vocalist’s upraised hand and the crowd jumping like crazy, it was clear that Sylar has some big love in the Big Apple!

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Next to the stage would be fellow Warped Tour alumni, Too Close To Touch. Since forming back in 2013 in Kentucky, this Alt Rock/Post-Hardcore band have been climbing the ranks and making their name known throughout the music scene. With two albums to their credit – 2015’s Nerve Endings and 2016’s Haven’t Been Myself – this little Lexington band – comprised of Vocalist Keaton Pierce, Guitarists Mason Marble and Thomas Kidd, Bassist Travis Moore, and Drummer Kenneth Downey – are signed to Epitaph Records and looking to win over audiences on the Headspace Tour.

On this night, Too Close To Touch had their heart set on showing NYC a good time. Taking the stage in full-force, they kicked off with “What I Wish I Could Forget,” “Leave You Lonely,” and “Nerve Endings.” As the band gave out massive energy, the crowd fed it right back to the quartet in symbiotic harmony. Before the group could begin “Hell To Pay,” Pierce explained that the song is about abandonment and, if anyone knew the words, they should sing-along. “Crooked Smile” and “Sympathy” closed out their short but stellar set, with the NYC crowd ushering up massive amounts of applause for this band on-the-rise.

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Things were about to get off-the-hook when the next band, Volumes, took to the stage. Formed back in 2009 in Los Angeles, this is a band who are known for their chaotic, energetic, and superb live performances that blend Rap and Metal into something far beyond simple Nu Metal. With three albums to their credit – 2011’s Via, 2014’s No Sleep, and June 2017’s Different Animals – Volumes has an impressive catalogue from which to draw live material. The band – Vocalists Gus Farias and Myke Terry, Guitarist Diego Farias, Bassist Raad Soudani, and Drummer Nick Ursich – took the PlayStation stage with a commanding presence and were firing on all cylinders from moment one.

Wasting absolutely not a second, the boys launched into “Left For Dead,” “93367,” and “Feels Good.” Terry was barely on-stage from the first moment: jumping and dancing and then taking to the barricades to interact with his fans. He was clearly very much feeling the music and the New York vibe. “The Mixture” was up next, leading into “Waves Control.” Before beginning the later, Farias noted that the song was about addiction and that for the past three years he has maintained his sobriety, and is extremely proud of all that he has accomplished. The message here? For anyone struggling under the weight of addiction, there is hope.

Volumes then closed out their amazing, high-octane performance with “Edge of the Earth” and “Wormholes.” With the crowd and band feeding off one another in an energy transfer that filled the PlayStation Theater to bursting, this was a clear highlight of the night, thus far. Putting on a performance that goes above and beyond words, this is a band that everyone must see at least once in their lifetime. A band with so very much to offer and endless energy and thrills, Volumes are that band that are an absolute do not miss!

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With Volumes’ impressive performance wrapped, the grand finale of the night was about to begin. Issues hail from Atlanta, Georgia where they formed in 2012 amidst the ashes of Woe, Is Me. Impressing audiences right off the cuff with their 2012 debut EP, Black Diamonds, the group blend an eclectic plethora of sounds, ranging into Metal, Pop, and even R&B. Currently touring behind their sophomore effort, Headspace, this Rise Records’ quintet – comprised of “Dirty” Vocalist Michael Bohn, “Clean” Vocalist Tyler Carter, Guitarist AJ Rebollo, Bassist Skyler Acord, Drummer Josh Manuel – are massively popular and highly beloved throughout the music scene.

As Manuel, Rebollo, and Accord took to the stage first, anticipation throughout the audience ran at a pulsating high. When Carter and Bohn finally joined their bandmates, the audience exploded with joy as the band launched into “Coma,” off Headspace. The perfect song to kick-off a truly amazing set, the crowd sang-along and screamed to welcome Issues to New York City with open arms (and lungs). Proving at every turn that the crowd was full of die-hard fans, not a lyric was missed as the band tackled “Sad Ghost,” “The Realist,” and “Kings of Amarillo.” Between the on-stage production and the massive mosh pits on the floor, Issues presented a multi-sensory experience that was every fan’s dream come true.

Carter took a moment to thank the over-excited crowd for coming out, before he kept things moving with “Home Soon,” and then asked for a circle-pit to open up for “Lost-n-Found.” One of the best things about the band’s set, however, was their lack of wasting time with superfluous speeches; they simply kept the energy at the maximum by performing song after song. Continuing to rock hard, they tackled “Love Sex Riot,” “Yung & Dum,” and “Stingray Affliction.”

Before continuing, Bohn inquired if the crowd were having a good time and still hanging in there with his band, and, of course, that made the assembled mass go wild with applause. One of the funkier offerings in the setlist, “Flojo” was up next and saw the audience dancing and having a great time. Two older tracks followed – “Life of a Nine” and “The Langdon House” – proving that the hardcore Issues’ fans had come out in full-force to represent.

“The Worst of Them,” “Blue Wall,” and “Never Lose Your Flames” followed, proving to be some of the most highly-anticipated songs of the evening. With everyone in the theater singing along and loving every single second of it, the boys slowed down a bit before tackling “Disappear.” With Carter requesting that the crowd continue their efforts and sing-along with him and his bandmates, they moved from “Disappear” into “I Always Knew” and “Slow Me Down,” two of the group’s newer offerings.

As no show is truly complete with a proper encore, the crowd began to hum “Hooligans,” and, as though magically, Accord and Manuel returned to the stage and were quickly followed by their bandmates. They ended their amazingly memorable, marvelously solid set with two of their most popular live songs: “Mad at Myself” and “Hooligans.” Leaving the audience with one truly massive smile, this was a set that proved that Monday shows can be some of the very best!

Between the diverse musicality of each band – from Sylar to Too Close To Touch, Volumes to Issues – this was a night of music that touched fans’ hearts and ignited their ears; every band told a unique story and put on an impressively memorable live show. With mosh pits, crowd-surfing, band members on barricades, and dancing, the Headspace Tour was a dream for fans in attendance on this neon New York City evening. A music lover could not ask for much more, so if the Headspace Tour is coming through a town near you, do not miss it!