On October 6th, 2023, The Devil Wears Prada and Fit For a King brought their co-headlining “Metalcore Dropouts” tour, with support from Counterparts and Landmvrks to Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Tennessee. Each band’s sound complimented each other extremely well, and the audience was engaged from the very first set, creating a lively night with an electrifying atmosphere.
The show opened with Landmvrks, a metalcore band hailing from Marseille, France. I wasn’t familiar with Landmvrks before this concert, but they impressed me with their constant energy and catchy melodies. Every single member of Landmvrks, from the drummer to the guitarist, were always on the move, making full use of the wide stage. Whether they were jumping, kicking, spinning, or running from one end of the stage to the other, they never slowed down, even on some of the quieter songs. Their energy was infectious. The crowd members who were clearly unfamiliar with the band had a difficult time refraining from dancing. Even though Landmvrks opened the show, there were a few present in the audience that knew all of the lyrics and shouted every word along with vocalist, Florent Salfati. This made it easy for the band to interact with the crowd, which only further added to the hype in the room. While Landmvrks put on a show that was technically sound, my favorite part of their set was watching how much fun they were having. They were all smiles as they put their all into performing their songs, and it was so obvious that they were just happy to be there. It was impossible not to smile while seeing them. My only wish is that their set had been even one or two songs longer. While the six songs they performed were excellent, I would’ve loved to have seen more of them.
Florent Salfati – Vocals
Rudy Purkart – Bass
Nicolas Exposito – Guitar
Paul C. Wilson – Guitar
Kévin D’Agostino – Drums
Set List:
1). Lost in a Wave
2). Rainfall
3). Blistering
4). Death
5). Visage
6). Self Made Black Hole
Next up was Counterparts, a melodic hardcore band from Hamilton, Ontario. While Landmvrks had a nice mix of heavy and light songs, Counterparts focused more on the hardcore part of their band and played mostly heavy songs, which the crowd was definitely into if the headbanging and moshing was anything to go by. They played a set of nine songs, and the crowd stayed involved the entire time, many even shouting out the lyrics. Vocalist Brendan Murphy constantly encouraged the crowd to move, mosh, open the pit, and crowdsurf, which everyone was all happy to oblige. While most of the set was pure energy and explosive music, there were a few touching moments when Murphy would discuss the song he was about to sing. For instance, before “What Mirrors Might Reflect,” Murphy opened up about his body dysmorphia and how he channeled those feelings into this song. He told the crowd, “I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me, but I’m trying to tell you how I feel.” This touching moment led into an emotionally charged song that was soon followed by another: “Whispers of Your Death,” with lyrics dedicated to Murphy’s deceased cat. Counterparts expertly balanced the energy of performing with emoting the deeper meaning of their music, and it made their set one to remember.
Brendan Murphy – Vocals
Jesse Doreen – Guitar
Tyler Williams – Bass
Kyle Brownlee – Drums
Set List:
1). Love Me
2). Unwavering Vow
3). Bound to the Burn
4). Monument
5). No Servant of Mine
6). What Mirrors Might Reflect
7). Wings of Nightmares
8). Whispers of Your Death
9). The Disconnect
Now that it was time for The Devil Wears Prada, a metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio, and the crowd could hardly contain their excitement. While they had certainly been engaged for both Landmvrks and Counterparts, it was nothing compared to their energy for the Devil Wears Prada. The second the band stepped on stage, the crowd moved left and right, with crowd surfer after crowd surfer following. At one point, vocalist Mike Hrancia stated that he’d heard Nashville crowds could be kind of boring, “but not this crowd!” In response, the audience ramped up their movement, proving him right. One interesting part of the Devil Wears Prada’s set was their stage set up, which was unique and really added to the show. Since they have six members, it could’ve been easy for the stage to get crowded, but with the platform they incorporated at the back of the stage, it was easy to see everyone, and it added another place for the members to move around. They all took advantage of this, running back and forth from one level to the other. At one point, keyboardist Jonathan Gering leapt off the platform in an impressive display before running back up the steps to his instrument. In addition to their stage set up, their light show was excellent. The colors were vibrant, and the lighting design itself was intricate, but never so distracting that it took away from the show. Instead, it only added to the band’s presence and performance. By the time the second to last song, “Sacrifice,” was played, the crowd was going wild. Once the song finished, guitarist and vocalist Jeremy DePoyster said to Hrancia, “Hey Mike, this is the best Nashville show we’ve ever played I feel.” The entire set was full of non-stop energy from both the band and the crowd.
Mike Hranica – Vocals
Jeremy DePoyster – Guitar, Vocals
Kyle Sipress – Guitar
Jonathan Gering – Keys, Synths
Giuseppe Capolupo – Drums
Mason Nagy – Bass
Set List:
1). Exhibition
2). Watchtower
3). Danger: Wildman
4). Salt
5). Broken
6). Reaching
7). Reasons
8). Hallucinate
9). Dez Moines
10). Outnumbered
11). Chemical
12). Sacrifice
13). Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?
Closing out the night was Fit For a King, a metalcore band from Tyler, Texas. This was personally my third time seeing them live, and every time I’ve seen them, they’ve put on an unforgettable show. This night was no different! The entire band knows how to put on a performance, and they’re impossible to take your eyes off once they begin. Between bassist Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary’s theatrical leaps into the air, and guitarist Daniel Gailey’s own tricks, there was never a dull moment during their set. And when O’Leary wasn’t jumping several feet high, he was spinning around, his bass flying with him. What was most impressive is the fact that he managed to pull off all of these stunts while still expertly playing his instrument. After the first few songs, vocalist Ryan Kirby told the crowd that on this tour, they’d be playing their heaviest set list yet. They did not disappoint! They played fan-favorite songs such as “Vendetta” and “Reaper” that had the whole audience headbanging. Kirby also encouraged the crowd to stay engaged, and at one point shouted, “when I say jump, you jump!” When he did, almost every single person in the room was off their feet, jumping along to the beat. During the closing song, “God of Fire,” there was wave after wave of crowd surfers. They came from every direction at once, and while it slowed down a bit as the song progressed, there was a steady stream the whole time. During a second of down time from crowd surfers, Gailey leapt off the stage and stood on the barricade as he continued to play his guitar, much to the delight of the audience. Another touching moment came at the end of the song when each band member was handing out drumsticks, guitar picks, and set lists. O’Leary jumped off the stage to give a particularly excited fan a setlist, and the fan was so touched by the gesture that O’Leary gave him a big hug. It was completely obvious just how much this band cares about their fans from all of their interactions with the crowd. It’s so heartwarming to see, and it adds another special meaning to their shows.
The Metalcore Dropouts tour is one I’ll remember for a long time. All of the bands’ sounds suited each other so well, but at the same time, each one brought something special to the show. If you haven’t gotten a chance to catch this tour, I can’t recommend it enough.
Ryan Kirby – Vocals
Daniel Gailey – Guitar
Trey Celaya – Drums
Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary – Bass/Vocals
Set List:
1). Annihilation
2). Breaking the Mirror
3). Falling Through The Sky
4). Slave to Nothing
5). Pissed Off
6). Reaper
7). Eyes Roll Back
8). The Price of Agony
9). Shattered Glass
10). Vendetta
11). When Everything Means Nothing
12). God of Fire
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I’ve always been the creative type, but nothing quite beats how it felt the first time I picked up a camera. Once I photographed my first concert, I knew I had found my passion. As an avid concert-goer, getting to combine my love of music with my love of photography is like a dream come true!
