I got the chance to catch Attila on the last night of their Let’s Get Abducted tour in North Carolina last night. The hype surrounding Attila and their live performances was well deserved because it was some of the most fun I’ve had at a show. The crowd was absolutely insane and I loved every minute of it.

Performing alongside Attila was Dear Desolate, a nu-metal band from Raleigh, NC. I love when band’s use local talent to open their shows because not only does it help the band reach a whole new fan base but it’s amazing to see what your own state has to offer. You definitely can’t just sleep on the local bands in your area and for my friends in the NC music scene; Dear Desolate is one you can’t miss. Next up were Michigan metal band, Vesta Collide. Their set was one of my favorites of the night. It might have something to do with the fact that their vocals were out of the world, or the fact that The Used, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy are among some of their influences. Plus, I’m all about bands that rock makeup on stage.

Out of the entire lineup, Cane Hill were the only ones I had previously seen live. The last time I saw Cane Hill was back in 2015 during BlessTheFall’s To Those Left Behind tour so it was long overdue. These guys never disappoint, It was so good to see them again. Their songs are high energy, addictive, and they always leave you wanting more. I had the pleasure of meeting them after the show and they’re some of most chill guys ever. Bad Omens took the stage next. This band is another must-see, we couldn’t stop talking about their set after the show. They have a great mix of heavy and clean vocals, amazing riffs and their stage presence is phenomenal.

Finally, Attila took the stage. I had heard amazing things about their live shows and it still didn’t prepare me for what I was about to see. It was one of the wildest crowds I had ever been in. I’m no stranger to stage diving, crowd surfing, things of that nature but I can definitely say I had never seen so many boobs during a show before. Aside from the surprise nudity, seeing everyone moving in unison and screaming at the top of their lungs is one of my favorite things about shows. As front man Chris Fronzak said, “We’re all one big fucked up family” and you could definitely sense that during the show. Attila graced us with some old favorites and some new tracks from their latest release Chaos. Since it was the last night of the tour, the band decided to switch things up and let someone from the audience perform their song “Payback” with them. They also added a ton of limited edition items and personal items to their merch table. The band apologized for being so low on merch, seeing as it was the last show, so they signed a bunch of the items and pretty much stripped their bus to give us a lil’ something extra. Honestly, if you’ve never seen Attila live I highly encourage you to see them because it’s an experience you’ll never forget. Mostly because you’ll probably see things that will be burned into your mind but I can guarantee there’ll never be a dull moment.  

My boys in BlessTheFall recently wrapped up The Retrograde Tour with Crown The Empire, New Year’s Day, Light Up The Sky, and Too Close To Touch. I had the pleasure of attending their NC show, making this the second time that I’ve seen them live. As for the others, I had not had the chance to see them live prior to my show but holy shit, will I be attending more shows in the future – absolutely.

Light Up The Sky and Too Close To Touch kicked things off right, completely setting the entire tone of the show. Out of all of the acts, these were the two I knew the least about which made their sets even more intriguing. Live shows are a great way to discover new music and this was no exception. Washington natives, Light Up The Sky are a hidden gem and put on a hell of a show. If you’re a fan of bands like My Enemies and I, you’ll love them. They did a few songs from their debut album Nightlife, released under Rise Records. My favorite track so far is “Bring It On”, definitely give it a listen. Too Close To Touch are another severely underrated band. During their set they got really personal, discussing their own personal experiences and really connecting with the crowd. Vocalist, Keaton Pierce has some serious chops, which came in handy when he joined New Year’s Day on stage for “Angel Eyes” later in the show. Their newest album Haven't Been Myself is available now!

Speaking of New Year’s Day, my soul damn near left my body as they took the stage. While this was my first time seeing them live, I’ve been a fan for a while. Their presence on stage was electric, front-woman Ash Costello is an actual angel. Her vocals are even more insane in person and she’s just an all-around badass. The place went crazy as they tore through fan favorites like “Kill or Be Killed”, Malevolence and more. The band also announced that they would be back in NC in March, which you’ll definitely find me at the show, first in line. The highlight was actually getting to meet the band at their merch table after their set. If you ever get the chance to meet them, please do. They’re incredibly kind and genuine, just thinking about it brings a smile to my face.

My boys were up next, kicking things off with my favorite track “You Wear a Crown But You’re No King”. So, as you can imagine I looked a little something like this in the crowd.

BTF always delivers a hell of a performance. They command the stage and they have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands the minute they step in front of you. Beau Bokan’s energy is infectious as he bounces across the stage, climbing into the crowd (and onto sound equipment), so you can’t help but to feed off of it. I got to hold hands with Beau during their set, he’s also a huge fan of spirit fingers. During “Oathbreaker” they had the entire place moving as a massive number of crowd surfers moved through to stage dive. I’ve never seen so many stage divers in my life, shit was crazy. I was also incredibly pleased at “Dead Air” made it on the set list because it’s one of my favorites from To Those Left Behind.

Crown The Empire closed the show as they played through songs from the album that inspired this entire tour. I just recently got into Crown The Empire so I was stoked to see what they had in store for us. It was spectacular – everything from the lights, the production, and the way they controlled the crowd was amazing. Since it was a sold out show, as tradition they had someone crowd surf from the bar to the stage to bring vocalist, Andy Velasquez a drink. A tradition I can get behind. It was truly an unforgettable performance. I met Andy after the show, it was well worth standing in the cold.

Even though The Retrograde Tour has ended you can still grab a copy of the album in stores and online now! The track "Are You Coming With Me" is a BOP.

Here’s a few pictures from the show.