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Underoath Rebirth Tour in Philadelphia, PA

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Apr 28, 2016.

  1. Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    I have become jaded by the sheer amount of reunion tours we have seen in the punk, emo, and hardcore communities over the past few years. When I see a new reunion tour announced, I pretty much instantly assume the band is doing it as a cash grab, or as a nostalgia-driven ego stroke, or more often than not: a combination of both. With the exception of At The Drive In, who openly declared that their recent reunion was about the money, my cynicism refuses to let me believe that there is anything more at play in these tours.

    That is, I felt that way, until I saw Underoath on their Rebirth tour.

    The build-up to the tour had all the makings of a cash grab: the tickets went on sale a half-year in advance, it came fresh on the heels of a documentary of the band’s farewell tour, and it took the form of the oft-overused album anniversary tour. The band would be playing their two seminal albums, They’re Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line. And yet, from the moment the band walked out on stage until the final notes of Define the Great Line closer “To Whom it May Concern,” I never once got the impression that Underoath was phoning it in or just there to cash a check.

    Kicking off the celebration was the instrumental post-rock band Caspian, who ripped through a captivating 5 song, 40 minute set. These lengthy compositions allowed Caspian to ebb and flow with the crowd. Meandering at times in their low back lights before exploding forth in a burst of technicolor strobes and a tsunami of distorted guitars. They provided a perfect counterpunch to the crowd’s anxious energy building while waiting for Underoath.

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    The impatience of the crowd was quickly quelled by the raucous beginning to Underoath’s set as they fittingly kicked things off with They’re Only Chasing Safety’s opening track “Young and Aspiring.”


    Wake up, wake up, wake up, this is not a test.

    The crowd was already awake though, barreling forward with the sort of reckless urgency that forced photographers out of the photo pit after just a hair more than one song, our safety endangered by the onslaught of crowd-surfers.

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    The safety concerns didn’t get much better from within the crowd, as, through no fault of the band, the Electric Factory was disturbingly filled to the brim with attendees. S much so that the moment I left the photo pit I was shoved against a wall and a garbage can and rendered immobile for the entire first album performance. You have to give the crowd credit, it certainly seemed as though they were making up for lost time. But luckily things settled down and I was able to enjoy the remainder of the set, the absolutely stellar Define the Great Line, with a little more breathing room.

    [​IMG]
    by Craig Ismaili


    It’s fitting that I would get more room to move for that particular album, as I’ve always found its particular brand of atmosphere so spacious. Songs like “You’re Ever So Inviting” bring a larger scope to the metalcore leanings of the band’s earlier records, while the unequivocal set highlight “Casting Such a Thin Shadow” roars forth from an almost cavernous soundscape into a powerful, cinematic climax.

    As the show wound down, Spencer Chamberlain made repeated suggestions that Underoath would be back to Philadelphia in the future, and it got me thinking that perhaps reunions aren’t about the past at all. It was a moment of epiphany for me; reunion tours are meant to be triumphant and celebratory, not a wistful look at what used to be. And if that’s what a reunion should be — then Underoath certainly achieved that and more with their Rebirth Tour.

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    by Craig Ismaili

     
    Garrett L. likes this.
  2. MrScott

    Newbie

    Hey man! Love this article and this show. Just wanted to point out that the lyrics you quote from "Young and Aspiring" are actually from "In Regards to Myself", the opener on Define the Great Line. Cheers!
     
    johnnyferris likes this.
  3. rxbandit89

    probably over-caffeinated. Supporter

    Came here to say that. Love this write up and these are some amazing pictures!
     
  4. Craig Ismaili

    @tgscraig Prestigious

    Seems everyone noticed my derp. Getting that fixed now. It was an opener, just not the opener. Thanks for pointing it out though. Not sure how I messed that one up.
     
    Guys Named Todd likes this.
  5. carlosonthedrums

    Cooler than a polar bear's toenails Prestigious

    Fantastic photos. This show knocked my jaded self into submission for a good two hours. What they did on this run was amazing.
     
  6. disambigujason

    Trusted Supporter

    Cool write up and great shots, especially of Spencer's wrist tattoo. I always thought of the 10-year tours as more celebratory and triumphant than the reunions, which I didn't mind either, but this one took the best parts of both and made it one of the best shows I've seen.
     
  7. sean_rugy

    select all delete Prestigious

    great write up. bummed I missed this.
     
  8. johnnyferris

    Sic Parvis Magna Prestigious

    One of the best tour packages I've seen!
     
  9. Michael Schmidt

    Don't recreate the scene, or reinvent the meanings Supporter

    The whole band was on point, but Spencer's vocals really stood out to me. Not so much that he sounded good, but the fact he held up every night. It seems like everyone's date had strong performances and he did two albums every night. Pretty remarkable.
     
  10. carlosonthedrums

    Cooler than a polar bear's toenails Prestigious

    I agree. Even though most people haven't been as receptive to Sleepwave, I think that project has done a lot of good for his voice and his range. He was the highlight of the show for me, which is crazy considering Aaron is back.
     
  11. disambigujason

    Trusted Supporter

    Great point. It was probably partially because we couldn't hear aaron well at our show, but spencer was on a new level.
     
  12. Eric

    Regular

    Just because the band put on a good show doesn't mean they're not doing this as a quick cash grab. Just saying...
     
  13. coleslawed

    Eat Pizza

    maybe it is. it's still cool to see these guys back together on stage having a good time, and it sounds like they'll be back for more "cash grabs" in the future.
     
  14. honkytonk

    Narcissism on narcotics

    These guys were fantastic in Toronto. One of the best shows I've been to in recent memory.
     
  15. reachingfor

    Regular Supporter

    Have they said what's next yet? Just being greedy but I want to see another tour and new music! Went to three of the rebirth dates and it wasn't enough.
     
  16. Eric Wilson

    Trusted Prestigious

    Awesome photos! They put on such a good show.
     
  17. Cody Butler

    Regular

    I don't want to be that guy who is crazy nitpicky, but the line is technically "Wake up, wake up, my god, this is not a test".

    Fantastic photos, I saw them twice on this tour. I'm REALLY hoping this leads to more music from them.
     
  18. Craig Ismaili

    @tgscraig Prestigious

    I've misheard this line for 10 years if so. Big if true. At this point I'm just leaving it though. Gonna have to fact check more in the future though for sure.
     
  19. rxbandit89

    probably over-caffeinated. Supporter