A Day To Remember tore up the stage at the RBC Echo Beach in Toronto. It was a perfect outdoor show on a Saturday night with an impressive lineup of bands in the heavy rock music scene. A full house meant for an unforgettable show to end the month of July.
Bad Omens opened the show to a crowd that was already halfway packed to see this rock/metal band. Remarkably it is the third time in a few months they played in Toronto; they opened for Ice Nine Kills late last year and Underoath in March. Since I last watched Bad Omens at the show last year (check out the live review here), their sound and presence onstage have become better than ever. Featuring a circle pit that looked more like a torpedo in the sand, Bad Omens was the perfect opener to energize the crowd and prepare for the following three bands.
Lineup:
Noah Sebastian – lead vocalist
Joakim Karlsson – vocals, guitarist
Nicholas Ruffilo – bassist, guitarist
Nick Folio – drummer
Setlist:
1. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND
2. ARTIFICAL SUICIDE
3. The Grey
4. Nowhere to Go
5. Like a Villain
6. Limits
7. Just Pretend
8. Dethrone
Beartooth returned to Toronto for the first time since early 2020, and the crowd was more than excited to see this longtime heavy rock band based in Columbus. Lead vocalist Caleb Shomo showcased his mighty screams and vocals throughout the whole set as if it was the last time he ever performed onstage. Their set had everything: singalongs, crowd surfing, and endless head banging. Caleb was left speechless seeing the love in an already packed crowd. There is no doubt Beartooth is here to stay and will be returning to Toronto for many more years to come.
Lineup:
Caleb Shomo – Lead vocalist
Oshie Bichar – Bass, backing vocals
Connor Denis – Drummer, backing vocals
Zach Huston – Lead guitarist, backing vocals
Will Deely – Rhythm guitarist
Setlist:
1. The Lines
2. Devastation
3. In Between
4. You Never Know
5. Bad Listener
6. Riptide
7. Hated
8. Disease
9. The Past Is Dead
10. The Last Riff
Metalcore band The Ghost Inside made a triumphant return to Toronto. It is the first time they have performed in Toronto since Warped Tour 2014 before their horrific tour bus crash accident the following year. They returned onstage sounding as good as they were, if not better than before. Jonathan Vigil’s low screams were powerful from start to finish, while Jim Riley delivered effortless clean vocals. They performed a setlist full of old and new favourites, bringing the crowd excitement and appreciation. What I loved most was Jonathan smiling throughout the whole set as he embraced the moment of performing live shows again. They ended their set with “Aftermath,” a song about hope and second chances, which is a perfect ending to a band that fought through many challenges over the years.
Lineup:
Jonathan Vigil – Lead vocalist
Zach Johnson – Lead guitarist, backing vocals
Andrew Tkaczyk – Drummer, percussion
Chris Davis – Rhythm guitarist
Jim Riley – Bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1. Engine 45
2. The Great Unknown
3. The Outcast
4. Dear Youth (Day 52)
5. Pressure Point
6. One Choice
7. Mercy
8. Dark Horse
9. Avalanche
10. Aftermath
The crowd sang to System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey!” before A Day To Remember approached on stage. A massive backdrop with their logo dropped as the band appeared onstage, which brought the crowd to an overjoyed excitement. Performing their opener, “The Downfall of Us All,” lead vocalist Jeremy McKinnon effortlessly ripped through his clean and growls through Neil and Kevin’s guitar work, while Alex tore through the drums.
From start to finish, A Day To Remember continued to perform song after song that was filled with heavy bangers and melodic tunes, which brought something every fan old and new to enjoy. At one point, Jeremy showed his appreciation to Toronto, as he admitted that last night was the rowdiest crowd they have performed so far on tour. The crowd continued to perform hits including their latest single, “Miracle” released last week. The band also took a moment to thank the security guards, bartenders, merchandise crew, and food trucks (they gave a big shoutout to the food truck that served poutine).
After performing “Resentment,” A Day To Remember walked off the stage briefly before coming back for the encore. The audience filled the scene with phone lights before Jeremy and Kevin played “If It Means a Lot to You.” They both played acoustic before Neil and Alex came back to play the rest of the song. With a career spanning almost two decades, the band decided to play three more songs to end the night: “Monument,” “Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail,” and “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle.” In the end, it was an unforgettable night filled with amazing heavy rock music with an unbelievable lineup of bands.
Lineup:
Jeremy McKinnon – Lead vocalist
Neil Westfall – Rhythm guitarist, backing vocals
Alex Shelnutt – Drummer
Kevin Skaff – Lead guitarist, backing vocals
Setlist:
1. The Downfall of Us All
2. All I Want
3. Paranoia
4. A Shot in the Dark
5. Degenerates
6. 2nd Sucks
7. Right Back at It Again
8. Rescue Me
9. Have Faith in Me
10. Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)
11. I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
12. Mindreader
13. Miracle
14. All Signs Point to Lauderdale
15. Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End
16. Resentment
Encore:
17. If It Means a Lot to You
18. Monument
19. Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail
20. The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle
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Andrew Wu is a music photographer based in Toronto, Canada. His work focuses on capturing and documenting special moments of performers during concerts and various events. His photos have been featured such as music publications in Spill Magazine, Imprint Entertainment, and Patchchord News. In 2020, he completed his BFA in photography at OCAD University.
Andrew is a massive fan of music, as he enjoys a variety of genres such as pop, alternative, rock, hardcore, and metal.
