Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The weather outside is getting colder, and it did absolutely nothing to stop fans from lining up early so they could get a good spot in the crowd at Wage War’s headlining show on November 10th. Old National Centre was a packed venue that night, with fans old and very young hoping to see a good night of metalcore. If the energy in the room was anything to go off of, I’d say everyone got exactly what they were hoping for.
Our first band of the night was Cane Hill, who kicked us off on a right note. With hard-hitting breakdowns, heavy screams, and high energy onstage, the band got the whole room moving. They got our first wall of death for the night, and after a plea to get everyone off their feet so he wouldn’t be heartbroken, vocalist Elijah Witt managed to get a massive stream of crowdsurfers going during their final song.
Varials had explosive energy from the start, and I genuinely don’t think vocalist Skyler Conder stopped moving for the entire set. They amped things up a level on the heavy scale, and the crowd reacted instantly. Crowdsurfers made their way up, including a fan in a wheelchair, and the whole room was jumping. As I watched, I noticed several people leaving the pit with various injuries, so I’d say it was a pretty successful set. After the band walked offstage, an announcement came over the system noting that everyone was required to stop by the Varials’ merch table and buy something, or someone would be sacrificed, and it was effective in getting an entire crowd of people headed that way.
Based on the sheer amount of noise the crowd made as We Came As Romans hit the stage, I’d say they had just as many fans in the room as Wage War did. The whole room got moving near instantly, with crowdsurfers making their way up in the air. The crowd came together again to help a wheelchair user make his way over the barricade, and he was rewarded with a setlist from the stage for his adventure. The band played a good mix of songs old and new, so you were sure to hear at least one that you liked. Plus, we got to hear a fun anecdote from the band where they called out one of the members of Varials for getting back to the hotel at 5 a.m. and waking up the rest of his band.
Wage War came onstage amid a flurry of cheers from fans excited for the moment they’d been waiting all night for. They kicked off their set with “Landfall,” which instantly got crowdsurfers up in the air. Fans were also extremely excited to hear “BLUR,” though I was most excited to hear “Low.” The band hesitantly slowed things down for one acoustic song, saying they didn’t want to ruin our good energy, and let us vote on if we really wanted it. Of course, everyone did, and we got a calmer moment listening to “Gravity.”
The energy wasn’t only electric in the band members, but the stage lighting itself was in constant motion. If you can imagine what it would be like at a metal-themed rave, I’d say that Wage War achieved that. The crowd surfing didn’t stop at all during their set, and the fans definitely gave security a run for their money by climbing on friends’ shoulders and throwing things in the room. It was a lot of people in the crowd’s first time seeing Wage War, and based on how much fun everyone was having, I’d assume it wouldn’t be a lot of people’s last, either.
Wage War has a few more dates in the United States left on this tour, but don’t worry if you’re in Europe; they’re heading your way in January. Check out the band’s website to see if they’re coming near you, and if they aren’t, consider taking a trip to go see them. It’s a show you won’t want to miss.
