After nearly six months away from live music, it was time to get back into the groove with a highly anticipated show: August Burns Red at The Fillmore. I have been jamming along to most of this band’s discography during my running training blocks, and was more than ready to have this band welcome me back to the world of live music. Along with a packed crowd, I found myself itching for the show to start, and to our collective surprise, the opening band took the stage a couple of minutes early.
Scottish metal band Bleed From Within took the stage first for the evening and brought the heat with them. Right out of the gate, this group of five came alive on stage, hooking in more and more of the crowd with each song. By the band’s third song, they already orchestrated a wall of death, circle pits, and mosh pits, not slowing down for a second, even during one of the band’s self proclaimed “slow songs.” It shocked me that this was this band’s first time touring the United States; their energy and passion was effortless and genuine, making a chance to connect with the crowd at every opportunity. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an opener draw as much enthusiasm from the crowd as Bleed From Within and I hope this band is able to make it back to the United States for another tour.
Next up for the night was metalcore veterans The Devil Wears Prada. The last time I was able to catch this band was on their With Roots Above album tour at the Varsity, and I was excited to see them play some of their newer material. Just as I thought Bleed From Within for the crowd going, the energy intensified when The Devil Wears Prada took the stage. Starting things off with “Watchtower” then going right into some of their older classics (“Danger: Wildman” and “Born to Lose”), there was not a single song this band played that the crowd didn’t scream back to them. The sheer amount of passion that poured from the stage for their live performance was contagious and made their ten song set go by way too fast. Before I knew it, it was time for The Devil Wears Prada to walk off stage.
Last but certainly not least was the headliner of the evening: August Burns Red. When the lights dimmed and their trademark flaming U lit up on their backdrop, it wasn’t long before the band ripped into their career spanning set. Truly, one of the only ways to describe their set is blissful mayhem, and a real cathartic chaos took off once the first notes of their second song of the night “Empire” rang through The Fillmore. It really is a gift to watch these incredibly talented musicians take the stage each an every time I see them; from blistering solos to seemingly impossible drum rhythms to band members switching instruments, August Burns Red didn’t miss a beat and put on an incredible show. The band included at least one song from each of their nine albums, truly celebrating each era of their twenty year career as a band. I don’t think there has been a time August Burns Red has come to Minnesota that I haven’t seen them; there’s something about being at their show that feels a little like coming home and there probably won’t be a Minnesota show of theirs I’ll miss.
