Starset Concert Review with The Word Alive and Another Day Dawns

Starset Concert Review with The Word Alive and Another Day Dawns
The Castle Theatre
Bloomington, Illinois
Friday November 30th 2021

Starset

Starset

 
 
 

Starset is a progressive hard rock band from Columbus, Ohio formed by vocalist, Dustin Bates. They are touring in support of their fourth studio album, Horizons. The band was formed in 2013 and their first album, Transmissions, was released in 2014. Starset has grown to be a popular band drawing fans of all ages.

A show that happens on a Tuesday is usually not well attended in the quiet twin cities of Bloomington-Normal. The Castle Theatre is a small venue that has a capacity of about seven hundred people. Starset fans traveled to see the show aka live “demonstration” and packed The Castle. Starset, from the beginning, shared the story concept of The Starset Society created them to spread the message they received from space. They are a unique band with a unique story and a catchy sound. The band had an eat and greet with fans where they hang out and eat food with them before doors so their fans have the best positions in the venue. While I did not attend the eat and greet, I have heard that the band is very personable and perform an acoustic set. Their fan interaction is one of the reasons for their success.

The night was slated for a total of four bands however All Good Things had to bow out of the tour due to someone contracting Covid. We all keep thinking that we are post-Covid however Covid still abounds. I am thankful that we can still gather and see a live show.

The night started with Another Day Dawns. They are a very good band from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The band is a blend between grunge and metal. The band has a solid fan base and was one of five finalists in the nationwide competition NeXt2Rock hosted by Cumulus Media. They performed great and were happy to meet with fans after the show. Honestly, they fell into a number of great, touring bands who all seem very similar. They do rock. Find out more about Another Day Dawns here:
Another Day Dawns website

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

Another Day Dawns

 

The second band in the lineup was The Word Alive. They are a metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona. The band had toured extensively and I first met them on Warped Tour. The touring band consists of vocalist Telle Smith, guitarist Zack Hansen, bassist Tyler William Ross, and drummer Mat Madiro. The band came out with blue makeup across their faces in a horizontal line about 2 inches under their eyes. Telle came out wearing an orange jumpsuit. They released their sixth album, Monomania on February 21, 2020. The Word Alive songs are a supportive for those fans who suffer from depression and just life in general. Their predominant song, Life Cycles, “I’d rather die for what I believe, than live a life without meaning”. Dare I say that they are a modern emo band.

The Word Alive
(You may be intereested in the the vocalist’ Frenchie, Colby Jack)

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

The Word Alive

 

The stage transition between The Word Alive and Starset took a while. The venue had to bring in extra power earlier to keep the lights on during the show. There were small risers and the backdrop were led panels that crossed the entire stage. There were laser lights crossing the stage and fogger jets. The band consists vocalist Dustin Bates, bassist Ron DeChant, guitarist Brock Richards, drummer Adam Gilbert, Cellist Zuzana Engererova and violinist Siobhán Cronin. The band started with the song “The Breach” and the screen behind them had cartoon versions of the band. The band was dressed in dystopian, sand colored gear and each member had three red dots on their left temple. Those dots are how they controlled by the evil powers in their story. The story the band tells is one that both astronomy and sci-fi geeks can love. In addition, their music is really catchy and I found that I knew most of their setlist from hearing them on the radio.

Parts of the show had the screen on the back showing dystopian society images while projected members of the band singing or playing. It was a high production show in a small venue. You cannot get that value from another band out there. Starset had their own intermission where a regular band has a drum solo, they had a reset transmission. After their reset, the band returned in white space suits and their stage backdrop moved to space.

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

 

The complete setlist:
Intro
The Breach
Where The Skies End
Infected
Carnivore
Let It Die
Trials
Manifest
Echo
Monster
Point of No Return
————————–
It Has Begun
Earthrise
Satellite
Devolution
Richochet
Die For You
My Demons

Frontman, Dustin Bates, thanked the audience and explained how they have evolved. He wanted the band to be part hard rock metal, one part symphonic, and one part cinematic. The fans support make all that possible. The merch they had ranged from the standards T-shirts, albums, posters to the special signed jacket and guitar.

You can attend the demonstrations yourself and see the amazing show.
See where on their website: Starset Online

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

Starset

                                

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin Concert Review

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin Concert Review
The Real Sick Tour with Like Moths To Flames, Sylar and Under Paris
April 30, 2015

                                

The Word Alive and Chelsea Grin returned to The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois on The Real Sick Tour. This tour is hitting smaller venues all over the country. You can meet the guys in the bands up close and personal. The Word Alive has special VIP packages.

Five bands took the stage and gave the fans what they needed for the evening, a cathartic release for the middle of the week. Many fans had traveled from out of town to make it to the show.

Sylar is rock band from Queens, New York and they have a style that can be described as nu metal. Fans of The Word Alive, Deftones, and Islander will like Sylar.  The vocalist, Jayden Panesso, stood out wearing a white shirt and white gloves.  Sylar has quickly gained a following and loyal fans.

Sylar

Sylar

Like Moths To Flames performed next. Like Moths To Flames is a metalcore band from Columbus, Ohio. They have been reunited with vocalist, Chris Roetter, for a little over a year. Their live show is energetic and very solid.  Their songs, “Bury Your Pain” and “I Solemnly Swear” resonated with the crowd.

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

Like Moths To Flames

The Word Alive drew in the crowd. So many fans love the the newest album, Real, that was released June of 2014. I spoke to vocalist, Telle Smith, in an interview before the show. We discuss Real , Colby the Frenchie, and what kinds of gifts he likes to receive from the fans.

The Word Alive’s set included several songs off of Real. Telle challenged the crowd to sing along as well as the crowd did in Japan two weeks before to “Lighthouse”. The crowd met their challenge. They also performed “The Hounds of Anubis” off of their Deceiver album for those that like their heavier songs. The crowd also did very well on “Life Cycles”. Of course, “Life Cycles” is the mantra for TWA fans. If The Word Alive could only play one song at a show and it was “Life Cycles”, I think everyone would be okay just seeing it alone.

AA

Click to view The Word Alive Photo Gallery

The closer for the evening was Chelsea Grin. No doubt about it, Chelsea Grin is hardcore. The fans were ready to F.S.U.. Many of the fans that were there to see The Word Alive left to get home early on a school night. They made a mistake by leaving before Chelsea Grin’s set. There is nothing comparable to a live metal show where the energy is fierce. The act of banging your head, crowd surfing, or moshing in the pit gives you that carthartic release. They started the evening with “Playing with Fire” which got everyone in a good mood. Also included in the setlist were “My Damnation”, “Morte Ætérna”, and “Clockwork”

The vocalist, Alex Koehler, encourage the crowd when they needed it. Here is a moment when there was a battle between each side of the pit. It appears to be men versus women but believe me, it was both sexes competing.

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin pit battle

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin pit battle

AA

Click to view Chelsea Grin Photo Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Real Sick Tour continues. You should catch it if you can.

Sylar

Sylar