Category: Blog

I bought tickets to this show on a whim. It was the day before Spring Break and I had two tests. But it was a few days before my birthday, and I really wanted to see Knocked Loose. No surprise, here, that I bought tickets and decided to go to the show anyway. This was Knocked Loose’s first headlining tour and I was super excited to be a part of it.

So, all the bands that played at this show are hardcore bands. Hardcore is another genre of metal that has a different type of fan. I am more of a metalcore/deathcore fan, but at this show I wanted to become the hardcore kid of my dreams. The attire at these shows is completely different. Instead of combat boots, you wear vans. Instead of ripped jeans, you wear clean, solid jeans (and you roll them up at the bottom). You can wear a band shirt, but one must pair it with either a flannel, a hoodie or a windbreaker. Then to finish it all off, you have to have a dad hat. The dad hat is the most important part of being hardcore.

I got to the venue a couple hours before the show and I met the owner of The Blind Tiger. We talked for a bit and he let me inside the venue early! I hung out with some friends that I know, who work for Crank It Loud, until the show started.

The opening band was a local NC band called Dwells. They were pretty good. The crowd didn’t really get into them, or the band Stone. There were some Crowd Killers that were jamming (swinging their arms around) the entire time. The crowd at this show was funny, no one was piled up at the front of the stage like they do at other shows that I have been to. They left the entire area open for the Crowd Killers. There were some people in the front (like myself) that jammed out, and then occasionally had to fend off Crowd Killers who like to hit random people around the perimeter.

Once Jesus Piece hit the stage, the crowd went off!! There were Crowd Killers everywhere and everyone in the building was jamming! I was really impressed with the band and how they worked the crowd. They were running and jumping around and yelling at the crowd the entire time. They were very entertaining to watch! They played songs such as: Oppressor, Conjure Life, and Deny Reality. During this band, I got into the habit of jamming out, and then when there was a break down, I would turn around and defend myself against all the Crowd Killers that were just kicking and swinging around.

The next band to go on was Terror, and man… they put on a great show. I thought the crowd went crazy for Jesus Piece, they were insane for Terror. They went so crazy that I had to leave the front. Everyone was jumping around and going on stage to stage dive and yell into the mic. I have a handprint bruise on my shoulder from where people were using me as leverage to get onto the stage. I had a guy literally on my shoulders, a crowd surfer landed on my back, and a stage diver landed on my head. I had three people on top of me during Terror’s set. Once I left the front and stood on the perimeter of the pit, I had a good time! I was jamming out and pushing people in the pit. Some of the songs that Terror played were: Keep Your Mouth Shut, Spit My Rage, and Always the Hard Way.

And finally, the band that I have been waiting for: Knocked Loose. I got back into the front for Knocked Loose and boy did they put on a show!! Bryan (the lead singer) came out doing hardcore dance moves and yelling into the mic at us.  He is such a great front man. There were more people trying to get into the front, now, so I had a buffer between me and the mosh pit. I was yelling all the lyrics to every song and Bryan let me yell into the microphone. The crowd got even more rowdy once they started playing Oblivion’s Peak. There were more stage diver and crowd surfers. Thankfully, no one landed on me this time. They played some of their most well-known songs such as: Separate, Counting Worms, and Deadringer. Knocked Loose put on a killer show and I would love to see them again soon!

Knocked Loose’s setlist

THE SAW

I bought tickets for this show completely out of the blue. I was telling my dad about the band Traitors and we were listening to their music (seriously, this band goes hard! Look up the song, Nu Hate). So while we were listening to them my dad says, “You do know they are going to be in Fayetteville on Tuesday, right?” I went online and bought tickets real quick. I also knew some of the local bands that were playing at this show (like VALLEYS, those guys are awesome). 

All local bands put on a killer show! Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t get involved until VALLEYS hit the stage. The first local band was Constellation Atlas, and they freaking jammed. Some guy fell out during their show (don’t worry, homeboy got up and continued to crowd kill [borderline moshpit but insteading of pushing people, one intentionally tries to hit, punch, or kick someone else] after a few minutes). The next local band was HEFT, and like the first band, there was only some crowd involvement. The next band Live For What Lasts had the same thing occurring with the crowd but I was really excited to see them because they are from my hometown!! It was cool to see some locals hit up the stage! I didn’t get to meet them but you already know when I see them around I’m going to tell them that I saw them live! 

VALLEYS was next and I was really excited to see them! They were another reason why I went to the show because I saw them perform last year when I saw After The Burial and Emmure (pictured below). I met the guitarist and drummer during that show. Now the crowd got into this band and there was a lot of crowd killing. I love the stage presence of these guys, they are always interacting with the crowd and incorporating them within their show. After their set, I went outside and I ran into the band. I was wearing my WKNC Media Pass and one of the members came up to me and asked me if I was a DJ. They also recognized me from the After The Burial and Emmure show last year. I talked to them for a couple of minutes and they are all such nice guys. They are in the studio now so be on the look out!! I play them during The Saw’s Butcher Shop in my “Local Butchers” segment. Maybe The Saw will be talking to them soon?

MESS, another local band from NC, played after VALLEYS, and I was really impressed by them. They had the entire venue rocking!! So many crowd killers and mosh pits occurred during their set. This was my first time listening and noticing this band, and I’m sure glad I did. They are a really good band! I talked to their lead singer (who is also the drummer) after their set and he is such a sweetheart (pictured below). I told him that I am a DJ for WKNC and that I would love to interview them and play their song during my set!

Seriously, go check out these local bands, they are really good. The Saw approves. 

The next band to take the stage was Signs of the Swarm. Oh my god… these guys are REALLY good. If you like heavy breakdowns, blast beats, gutturals, and pig squeals then this band is for you. The singer was in the crowd’s face the entire time. His voice is insane!!! How he transitioned to growling, screaming, to gutturals, and then to pig squeals was awesome (it is difficult to do these transitions live on stage). One of the best singers I have seen/heard. He was literally hovering over the crowd while singing. I was really impressed with them. I never heard of them until that night and I am glad that I have discovered them. They are easily becoming one of my favorite deathcore bands. There was an insane pit for these guys and the crowd absolutely loved them. I don’t think there was a single person in that room standing still. They played some of their well-known songs such as Cesspool of Ignorance and The Failed Breed. I met the singer and the drummer after their set. They are some of the sweetest and coolest guys I have met (pictured below). Me and the singer have matching Medusa tattoos so we bonded over that. I talked to them for about 10 minutes and then headed back inside to see the next band.

The band I have been waiting for: Traitors. These guys sound the exact same live as they do on record. I met the lead singer (pictured below) at their merch booth before the show and he looks like a young Corpsegrinder (seriously, if I didn’t know I was seeing Traitors, I would have thought Corpsegrinder was at the show). The singer has a great stage presence and he really gets the crowd rowdy. There was a lot of crowd killing and some actual fights broke out here and there. But overall, their set was pretty fun! They played two of my favorite songs: Nu Hate and Short Fused. They just released their new record, Anger Issues, go check it out! 

The last band to perform was Lorna Shore. I have heard of these guys before and I was excited to see them live for the first time! Most of the people left after Traitors which is pretty disappointing. But that didn’t stop Lorna Shore from putting on a killer show!! This band is also another deathcore band and they are touring with Signs of the Swarm. When the band came out, the crowd killing began (not surprised). But, something weird happen in the mosh pit during their set… a dance off began. There was a handful of guys doing the “Souja Boy,” whipping, twerking, nae nae, some weird slow-motion dance, spinning on the floor, and some vicious dabbing. Seriously, homeboy was dabbing so intensely… it was so hardcore. What got me was that some guy busted out the worm and everyone went insane. I have never seen a dance party happen during a show before. We all started a huge pit of the Macarena, it was the best mosh pit I have ever been into. They were doing these dances to Lorna Shore and it was just funny to see these dances to metal music (and the dancing was off-beat I may add). I gotta be honest, no one was watching the band at this point… everyone was watching us dance in the mosh pit and throwing in our best dance moves. The lead singer from Signs of the Swarm came on stage and played a song with the band for his birthday. Some of the songs that they played were Life of Fear and FVNERAL MOON. 

To sum up last night, it was something I have never experienced before. This show was at a small pub and there was around a hundred or so people that showed up. Although the crowd killing got annoying, my overall experience at the show was great! I got to run into some friends, meet some awesome bands, and witness a dance party!! I enjoyed my time at the Drunk Horse Pub. It was my first time there and I really liked the atmosphere. It was a very laid back environment. They have pool tables, a bar, and a seating area. You could walk in and out of the venue and hang out and meet all of the bands if you wanted to. The stage was small and so was the standing area in front of the stage, but this made for a intimate show. I would go back to this venue to see a band anytime!  If you get the chance to see any of these bands, please do. They are all so talented and I promise it will be worth it. 

THE SAW