BLACK VEIL BRIDES/ CASKETS/ ARCHERS/ AUTUMN KINGS
By Ralph Beauchamp
On Friday 9/25, The Dome At The Oakdale Theater hosted the Black Veil Brides. The Black Veil Brides brought their Vindicatour Tour to the venue with Caskets, Archers and Autumn Kings for support.
Even though the show started early at 6:30, by the time my photographer Jody Wilk and I entered The Dome, the facility was already packed. This was due to the fact that the night’s line-up was stacked. Every band on the bill seemed to have a fairly large fanbase in attendance.
The first act up was Autumn Kings. They were one of the bands I was eager to experience. The group is comprised of Jake Diab (Guitar/Vocals), Joseph Coccimiglio (Lead Vocals} and Troy Dawdy (Drums). Sky Werth was the touring bassist and he was truly impressive. Hailing from Detroit, Autumn Kings’ music is a delectable mixture of hard rock. alternative and rap. Every one of their songs carries a charge. They are also a mainstay on Sirius’ Octane.
Autumn Kings opened with one of their big hits, “Sleep When I’m Dead” and right from the first note, the house was electrified. From there, they went into “Become Numb” and “Gone, Gone, Gone” and The Dome was rocking. All the while, the band was flying around the stage. Coccimiglio was an adventurous frontman who kept the audience enthralled. Diab and Werth also had the crowd entertained. Dawdy’s percussions were elite. Autumn Kings closed out with a monstrous version of “Hellbound”. It was an amazing kickoff.
Archers were next and they continued the brazen onslaught. The band’s music offers sonic detonations coupled with melodic interludes in order to forge a sound both unique and relatable. The band is made up of Nathanael Pulley (Lead Vocals}, Ben Koehler (Guitar}, Oscar Porter (Bass/Vocals) and Grayson Mesarosh (Drums). Archers seemed to have a substantial amount of fans in the crowd.
Archers eight song set was full of fire. “Made for Love” was the initial tune and from there the group went into “Drag Me Out” and their new single, “Get Paid”. The venue was feeling the heat and a circle pit began to form and crowd surfers made their appearance. The audience was loving every minute. “Say This Sober” and “The Dirt” followed. Pulley expressed how fortunate they were to be on this tour and thanked Black Veil Brides for adding them. It truly felt authentic. The last song was “Perfect Strangers”. It was another great set.
The UK’s Caskets were next on stage. This was another act I was dying to see. Their music combines hammering riffs and ferocious vocals. Caskets are Matthew Flood (Lead Vocals), Benjamin Wilson (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), James Lazenby (Drums) and Craig Robinson (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals).
Opening with “Guiding Light”, Caskets had the audience riveted. Flood had The Dome captivated. In addition, the band was tight and vibrant. Also, every song packed a sonic punch. “Hate Me”, “Make Me a Martyr” and “Drowned In Emotion” flowed next. The circle pit grew larger while the crowd surfers continued to appear. Caskets were firing on all cylinders. Finishing with a vigorous rendition of “Glass Heart”, Caskets conquered the room.
As soon as Black Veil Brides hit the stage, the audience let out a huge roar. This was their crowd. They were the true overlords of the evening. Lead vocalist Andy Biersack is a powerhouse. He just exudes dynamic magnetism. Guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx destroyed with addictive licks and emboldened textures. The backbeat of bassist Lonny Eagleton and drummer Christian “CC” Coma filled the house with muscular grooves.
Black Veil Brides let loose an audacious 14 song set. They started off with “Knives and Pens” and immediately the ensembled were in a swoon. Everyone was singing along while horns were flying in the air. But not only horns, Biersack mentions how he saw so many waves coming from the audience and that seemed the theme for the evening. It really was a beautiful sight, especially for a hard rock show. Biersack was a consummate showman. His ease and panache on stage was incredible to watch. He definitely enjoys his role.
One of my favorites was next, “Bleeders” and it is a perfect example of the Black Veil Brides‘ style of employing propulsive screams and melodic passages to create tension. “Hallelujah”, “Vindicate” and “Certainly” continued to rile up the house. On “Rebel Love Song”, Biersack brought up a audience member who held up a sign that he wanted to play guitar on the tune. Biersack gave the young man from Long Island a shot and he nailed it. It was an extra special moment.
The Black Veil Brides set concluded with three strong tracks. “Woe & Pain”, “The Legacy” and “Perfect Weapon” simply permeated The Dome with divine vibes. But there was still more to come. On the encore, Lilith Czar came out to duet with Biersack on “Cut”. It had everyone in pure ecstasy. Appropriately, “In the End” was the last song of the night,
Black Veil Brides, Caskets, Archers and Autumn Kings all played awesome sets and had fiery moments. This was a evening that no one left without great memories and impassioned spirits.
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