Tempe, AZ — Underoath, touring in support of their latest release Erase Me, brought remarkable energy to Marquee Theatre.  When asked about one of the opening bands, The Plot in You, local fan and concertgoer, Curtis said, “I’ve never seen a band play so hard,” which is an apt description for every band that took the stage on this night. In addition to The Plot in You, Underoath’s supporting acts on the “Erase Me Tour” include Dance Gavin Dance and Crown the Empire.

We love Tempe. We love that this tour is just getting started. We love that it’s not cold here. We’ve had lots of coffee so we’re in a great mood all around. See you tonight Tempe 🙌🏽🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/mEZnptkmQ6

— Underoath (@UnderoathBand) November 8, 2018

Dance Gavin Dance stunned the audience with one of the most polished, musically proficient, and engaging sets of the night. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to say that they stole the show with their absolutely commanding presence on the Marquee stage. Lead clean-vocalist Tilian Pearson and unclean vocalist John Mess made an excellent team, trading off between Pearson’s angelic high notes and Mess’ primal, guttural screams. Their body language couldn’t be more different and yet it’s so complimentary to the other performer that it comes off as a natural contrast. Pearson dances across the stage with a snake-like charm, moving his body in fluid motions reminiscent of Michael Jackson while Mess stands firm like a monument, tightly focused on the crowd and his microphone and he delivers his powerful vocals.

Guitarist Will Swan was an indisputable highlight in a band full of unrelentingly talented musicians. His hands move so fast as to seemingly blur at times and aside from throwing his head back and forth in bobble-head like fashion to the music, he stands completely still. For a performer to remain almost entirely stationary while still bringing so much energy to the band’s sound is truly an incredible feat. His effortless transitions between finger tapping on “Chucky Vs. The Giant Tortoise” to speedy flurries of dissonant power-chords hint at a subtle mastery of his instrument.

Before leaving the stage, Pearson thanked the crowd for being so welcoming and quickly added “you guys are f*cking crazy!”. This was apparent being in the crowd and witnessing what some concert-goers were capable of without getting thrown out of the show, although this was nothing compared to what came next.

As stagehands went to work striking the other band’s props and equipment, people marveled at the visual spectacle coming to life before their eyes. The drums and keyboards sat atop a giant riser on stage-right and left respectively, which was illuminated by ubiquitous screens that covered most of the stage. Dozens of rotating lights mounted on stage trusses strongly indicated that the audience was about to witness epileptic-rainbows of flashing color fill the room.

As Underoath’s set begin, the lights went dark and shortly thereafter, the screens and lights came to life. The screens cast blindingly-delightful floods of color into the retina of adoring fans who screamed their hearts out. The electronic hum of Christopher Dudley’s keyboards set the foreboding tone of the hour as drummer and vocalist, Aaron Gillespie began the intro to “On My Teeth” at machine-gun speeds. The energy was increasingly palpable as lead vocalist, Spencer Chamberlain ran on stage so fast as to almost fly into the crowd upon entering.

The night continued with this level of energy until it suddenly increased at an unstoppable pace when the band broke into an old favorite, “In Regards To Myself”. People lost their minds and formed mosh pits that felt tumultuous yet far friendlier and safer than most. Eventually following this were other notable song highlights in “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”, “Reinventing your Exit”, “Rapture”, and “It Has To Start Somewhere”.

Chamberlain commanded the crowd with the ease of a sorcerer manipulating matter as he moved his hands in a circle and instructed them to mosh. He also had an admirable way of engaging the audience on deeply, personal levels when he went into a beautiful speech about his own experiences with drug addiction and how he used music as one form of therapy and a creative outlet for his emotions. He credited Gillespie as the one he called first when he was at his lowest point in life and realized he needed to get help. After that he implored the audience to applaud as he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his bandmate and close friend. It all felt really genuine and inspiring as he concluded his speech with “You’re not weak for seeking out help when you need it.”

Overall, Underoath and Dance Gavin Dance both proved beyond a shadow of doubt that they are musical forces to be reckoned with and can still draw enthusiasm from crowds after 10+ year careers doing what they obviously love to do. It will surely be exciting to see what the future holds and what comes next from each of these talented bands.

Photo Album

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Underoath & Dance Gavin Dance – Marquee Theatre 11-8-18

Photography © Reagle Photography
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