Fit For A King Tear Down a Sold Out Amsterdam Hall

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On one of the more chilly nights of this fall, I was both relieved and happy to discover that Amsterdam Hall allowed people to wait inside of the restaurant part of the venue for doors to open.  As the line to get in and to the stage grew, a noticeable spur of excitement began to fill the room, spilling into the concert hall the moment doors opened.  I didn’t even realize until almost halfway through the show that this was a sold out event, making the entire experience more intense and memorable. 

Opening the Fit For A King and In Hearts Wake co-headliner was local Minnesota band Prevailing Providence.  For never having seen or heard of them before, I left their set fully impressed with not only their polished stage presence, but also their tight knit musicianship.  Even with people still filling in the room as the band played their set, it was easy to tell that the crowd was into their performance.    

The first band on the tour bill to play was Los Angeles based metal band Phinehas, a band that took the energy the openers created in the room and quickly morphed it into being more intense.  There wasn’t a moment during their set that I wasn’t impressed with the band’s musicianship, each member displaying their technical skills throughout their entire performance.  I could tell that I was not the only one who had never seen Phinehas live before, but at the end of their set I knew I was not the only one that would be going to their next show in Minnesota. 

Next up was metalcore band Like Moths to Flames, a band I remember seeing perform at Warped Tour quite a few summers ago, the only times I’ve seen them live.  Four years later, the Columbus based band brought a familiar yet nostalgic presence to the stage; while the band has definitely progressed in the last four years, it was evident the crowd was favored their older music, with songs like “GNF” getting a louder crowd response.  

Australian based hardcore metal based In Hearts Wake was the first of the co-headliners to perform, bringing an entirely different dynamic to the stage.  The last time I saw them was in Boston and I was highly impressed; to say that I was eager for them to perform was an understatement.  I could tell I wasn’t alone in that, as members of the crowd began crowd surfing and stage diving almost immediately after In Hearts Wake started their set. The highlight of their set was lead vocalist Jake Taylor using an inflatable raft to go across the crowd to capture a flag at the opposite end of the venue. 

Last up for the evening was Christian metalcore band Fit For A King.  The four piece, consisting of vocalist Ryan Kirby, guitarist Bobby Lynge, drummer Jared Easterling, and bassist Ryan O’Leary, played one of the best metalcore sets I have recently seen, something I expected after seeing them on Warped Tour this past summer.  Their lighting was spot on for creating an incredible and intimate dynamic, and the band’s passion for their craft shown through their stage presence, making this sold out show a night to remember.  

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