[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ay 1st wasn’t just a big night for heavy music fans in Detroit this year, it was a day that every impassioned concertgoer had left marked on their calendar at least a month in advance. Bands like Blessthefall, Miss May, Silverstein, Tech N9ne and more were all in town playing at great venues. So how did I find myself catching Letlive at The Magic Stick? Simple; that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
Every band I just named off I’ve seen live at one time or another, but what I witnessed Letlive achieve live at the very same venue last November while touring in support of Every Time I Die; that is something I haven’t been able to shut up about ever since. I guess the honest truth is that I really had to make sure that I didn’t somehow dream up a band that had more energy, emotion, and fearless moxie than any other I had seen to date.
I didn’t.
Opening up the night was I the Mighty, who wielded equal parts loud rock riffage and progressive timings to complement their brand of alternative post-hardcore. Frontman Brent Walsh built a rapport with the audience early on and wasn’t shy to make some friends by getting into the crowd. The band even brought a special guest with them; Sergio Medina of the band Stolas. With a set that saw Walsh suspended in the air by a sea of hands for their song ‘Speak To Me’, I the Mighty proved to be a promising name worthy of keeping an eye on.
Up next was Glass Cloud, a group than many followers of the metalcore scene will likely recognize. The band was founded by former Of Mice & Men and Sky Eats Airplane vocalist Jerry Roush in 2011, and have toured heavily for the last two years with the likes of We Came As Romans, Silverstein, The Chariot and Periphery. It’s no stretch to say that this tour couldn’t have been a better fit for these guys. With a progressive metal sound that boasts some distinct hip hop/grove based hues, Glass Cloud got the bodies moving fast and frantically and didn’t fail to challenge the Detroit crowd to step up their game and leave it all on the floor. And as it turns out, that’s exactly how Detroit likes to roll.
Before I go any further, allow me to just say this; I don’t think it’s a fluke that two of Epitaph Records’ recent breakout artists decided to do a co-headlining tour together. I think it happened because said bands are currently putting everything they have to offer behind supporting a scene that’s really begging for something special to unify it. And if the reaction I saw when Architects took the stage is any indication, I think I can safely say that there’s a lot of heart behind the new era of post-hardcore music.
Opening up with the intro track to their new album ‘Lost Forever//Lost Together’, Architects hit the ground running with the kind of intensity and passion that wins you over in a heartbeat. Frontman Sam Carter proudly sported a custom Letlive denim vest, showing solidarity and ‘ll.ove’ for his tour mates. The band’s set was highlighted by many of their more recent hits, such as ‘Naysayer’ and ‘Broken Cross’. Hailing from Brighton, England, the band relished the opportunity to play for a crowd of fans here in the states and wore any and all emotions on their sleeves. It was loud, it was crazy, and most of all, it felt like a family of music lovers having damn good time.
So now there was just one band left to play on the evening. A band called letlive. Sometimes, when you see an artist live or hear one of their records for the first time, you’re hit with this unmistakable impression that a group like this can’t simply be built in some studio by a group of radio tastemakers and label executives. Well I’m here to say that whatever force of nature and circumstance created the band we know as letlive, it is the closest thing to art that exists in the music industry today.
Opening up with the final track off their newest effort, ‘The Blackest Beautiful’, letlive made it clear that the crowd wasn’t going to have a chance to catch a single breath. Flying bodies, chaotic riffs, and screaming like the sky was about to fall smack dab in the middle of downtown Detroit set the tone for another unforgettable performance. Not absent minded of their last visit to this venue, the band had passionate words for the crowd and wouldn’t allowed themselves to be outdone by their previous performance. Whether it was playing fan favorites like ‘Muther’, ‘Dreamer’s Disease’, ‘Virgin Dirt’ and ‘Day 54’ ,or getting up close and personal with the fans, letlive once again created the kind of magic that people will be talking about for years to come.
