Motionless in White Kick Off The Sweat and Blood Tour With a Night of Firsts in Bridgeport
Whenever you have the opportunity to attend either the first or last show of a tour, it usually turns out to be something special. As metalcore fans flocked to Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on July 14 for Motionless in White, perhaps we underestimated just how monumental this evening would be.
It was the first stop on The Sweat and Blood Tour, Motionless in White's first U.S. headline run in nearly three years, and it arrived just days before the release of their seventh album, Decades, which is streaming everywhere by the time you read this.
After an incredible spring run supporting the much celebrated Bring Me the Horizon tour, Motionless promised to build on that energy with one of the most stacked support lineups of the summer: Static Dress drawing plenty of attention with this year's injury episode, Fit for a King still running hot on last year's Lonely God, and Lorna Shore coming off their own headlining run this spring.
The July sun was still beating down as the crowd cleared security and swarmed the merch tables before staking their claim along the barricade. And the fans didn't just come from Connecticut either. Several people I met at the barricade had traveled in from surrounding states for opening night.
STATIC DRESS
Static Dress took the stage around 6:30 and this UK post-hardcore wasted no time attacking their short set. However, that sun was still high in the sky, pouring light into the amphitheater. No amount of stage lighting was going to overpower that. And the distance between the barricade and the elevated amphitheater stage let some of that energy dissipate before it could wash over the mosh pit.
With the rest of this tour headed to more amphitheaters and arenas, some small staging adjustments could go a long way. Get the guitar and bass up on their risers, elevate the drum kit, and give the audience a better view of the performance.
However, some stage modifications aside, it doesn’t take away from what this tour means for Static Dress. The band is drawing plenty of attention with this year's injury episode, which has earned praise from both the industry and metalcore fans. A run like this could not have come at a better time. It’s carrying them to new markets and new listeners every night.
FIT FOR A KING
Fit for a King is one of the hardest working bands in metalcore, and it's no coincidence they landed on this tour. Chris Motionless collaborated on “Witness the End" from last year's Lonely God. While they could easily headline themselves, they still delivered an blistering set in their shorter slot. It was a bit closer to a run through of their greatest hits, but hopefully enough to win over anyone new to the band.
The sound cut out on frontman Ryan Kirby's mic mid scream. He didn't hesitate, didn't even flinch. When the sound kicked back on a few seconds later he was still holding the same scream. Tech issues aside, you could see the smiles on their faces. They were kicking off a month-long run with friends on the most anticipated tour of the summer.
LORNA SHORE
The last time I saw Lorna Shore, they were closing out their own headline tour with a home state show at New Jersey’s Wellmont Theater. Less than two months later, they clearly hadn't cooled off, naturally opening with “To the Hellfire” on this hot and humid Bridgeport evening.
The sun had finally set by their stage time, and Lorna Shore travels with a rig full of strobes and massive lighting. Unfortunately, a lot of it got lost in the stage fog, which lingered far longer than it should have thanks to the humidity.
My favorite moment of the set came during “Glenwood." The crowd was completely locked in, singing “take me home" along with Will Ramos. Thousands of people carrying the melody with one of the most extreme vocalists in metal was something special. They closed with “Prison of Flesh" with Ramos delivering his signature vocals one last time before handing the night over to Motionless in White.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
Between sets, the entire stage was turned over, revealing a massive set framed with video screens. The drums sat on an elevated level a story or two high, and each side of the stage was flanked with more video screens that moved up and down, opening to let band members play from platforms and closing behind them when they left.
Motionless in White opened the night with “Sign of Life.” Then “Playing God" and “Afraid of the Dark" followed close behind, giving fans two of the three chart-topping singles from Decades within the first four songs.
The production, courtesy of the incredible team at Mangata Collective, went above and beyond with their immersive visuals and impressive pyrotechnics. Taking the spectacle up another level were the Cherry Bombs, four dancers who made every song a new reveal for a themed prop or costume. From metal grinders throwing sparks to burning books, and even water guns, they added so much to the show that you found yourself waiting to see what they would bring out next.
Fit for a King's Ryan Kirby returned to the stage to step into the guest spot on “Slaughterhouse." Then about halfway through the set, a behind the scenes camera followed Chris backstage as he had his makeup touched up. Out of breath, smiling ear to ear, he looked so damn content with the evening. The positive vibes were infectious!
Then came the moment of the night, literally social media has been buzzing about: Motionless in White debuted “R.I.P." with their first ever live performance, and Skylar Grey herself came out to sing with Chris. The video screens transformed into a cathedral straight out of the music video. As Chris and Skylar climbed to the elevated platform high above the crowd, fake snow poured in from the sides of the stage. It was a jaw-dropping visual on an already mind-blowing night. The timing could not have been sweeter, with “R.I.P." currently sitting at number one on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. The night of many firsts, didn’t end there. Two songs later, the band debuted their first live performance of Corey Hart's “Sunglasses at Night," which also appears on Decades.
Before finishing the evening, Chris took a moment to speak to the crowd, reflecting on what the last twenty years has meant for the band. From playing small clubs for fifty people to standing on this stage, celebrating three consecutive number one songs, all just days before releasing their latest album. He reminded the crowd how the band was eternally grateful for their support before they fittingly ended the evening with “Eternally Yours."
I have attended countless concerts, and plenty of them had their moments of significance. But every so often a show comes along where everything converges in a single evening. The first night of a tour. A band returning to headline U.S. stages after three years. An album days from release, having already notched three number one singles. An icon like Skylar Grey stepping onto a metalcore stage to debut their song. Snow falling in the middle of a July heat wave? Hell literally froze over. It was one of those nights. You just had to be there.
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