Gojira is heading to Bonnaroo! But before they make their way to the big stage, they did a mini tour through North Carolina. They went to Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville on the Road to ‘Roo. Raleigh was their first stop and I went and saw them at the Ritz! I have been to the Ritz quite a bit and it is one of my favorite venues. The light shows that they do here are incredible.
The first band to hit the stage was All Them Witches. They are a three-piece rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They sounded really good up on stage, but there wasn’t a stage show and the crowd did not move for them at all. But all of them did head bang the entire time so… respect.
Deafheaven then took the stage and they are a post-metal band from San Francisco. Their sound was very unique. The singer did black metal vocals, but over soft rock. I couldn’t get into it that much just because it wasn’t as heavy. But their light show was impressive! The lights that they had were so vibrant and complimented them on stage well. The band also had a good stage performance. Their singer was entertaining to watch because he would stand up close to the crowd and then he would twirl and dance. Who said metal couldn’t be elegant and cute?
And finally, the band that I have been waiting for, Gojira. I have always been a fan of Gojira but I have never seen them live. Right when they hit the stage, it was like the entire crowd exploded; there were so many crowd surfers and moshers! There was a mosh pit for their entire set (and they had a long one). They came out to Only Pain and followed it with The Heaviest Matter of the Universe. Gojira’s energy is unbeatable and you could tell that both the band and the crowd was having a great time. They also played two of my favorite songs: Stranded and Silvera. Their light show was also amazing and their sound was crystal clear. At the end of their set, the singer came back on stage and said that we (Raleigh) were one of the best and rowdiest crowds they have ever seen. Can you blame them? We bring the heat over here in North Carolina!!
Have you seen Gojira? What did you think about them?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW