Review by Isis Bouemboue
Photos by Alex Siracusano
From smaller bands such as Hands like Houses and Volumes, to the bigger bands like Oceano and The Acacia Strain, Every band on this tour definitely lived up to the tour’s name, “Scream It Like You Mean It.” They screamed… and they meant it! From start to finish, fans watched as each of their favorite bands took the stage at Gramercy Theatre. The first band on the bill, Hands Like Houses, made an honorable performance that night. Vocalist, Trenton Woodley, had improved significantly vocally since their first show in the states not even two months ago. The band put on a good show but that was about the extent of it. Volumes kept the crowd excited, and fans were eager to see their performance. They gave the kids what they were looking for, a heavy, badass, fast paced set. The crowd was going bonkers! The set for sure wasn’t a let down. For All Those Sleeping surprised the crowd with their cover of hit song “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift, giving everyone a moment to break away from the overall heaviness of the tour and bust a move or two! Their set contained only songs from their new album “Outspoken”, which disappointed some older FATS fans, but made up for it in their performance. Their swagger on stage kept everyone’s attention and excited for more. In Fear and Faith tried to keep the energy up. Being one of the softer bands on the bill, they had a hard time connecting with the crowd, That were there for the likes of Oceano and The Acacia Strain. Oceano Brought the house down, starting hard and finishing even harder with one of their older hits “District Of Misery.” The crowd went completely insane. Oceano definitely put the fear of god in everyone’s heart in the best way possible. Closing the show was everyone’s favorite, The Acacia Strain. From start to finish the crowd took all their left over energy and doubled it! Fans went wild at the end of the set, begging for an encore and fortunately, they got what they wanted. Great way to end the night. The Acacia Strain never disappoints.
The band that definitely stood out the most that night was the 4 piece mathcore band, The Chariot. From frontman, Josh Scogin, to drummer, David Kennedy, Not one member fell short of energy and creativity on that stage. Fans watched as replacement bassist, Stephen Harrison, jumped off the stage and into the crowd to play a whole song in the pit. This guy was fearless. Then drummer David Kennedy ended the show with a sweet tasteful solo, as Josh disassembled his drumset right under him. The set was amazing, and kept me on my toes, not knowing what to expect from the band. They’ve raised the standards for what to expect from an amazing live show.
Overall The “Scream It Like You Mean It Tour” was definitely a good show, and the bands gave the fans what they wanted. A perfect night to throw down.
