For a generation of alternative music fans, Sleeping With Sirens is more than just another band in a playlist. Their music has been the soundtrack throughout the teen years of a multitude of listeners — through heartbreak, joy, and self-discovery alike.
There is something so powerful about hearing the songs that carried you through the formative years of your life surrounded by hundreds of people who carry those same memories close to their hearts. Sleeping with Sirens brought this feeling to Nevermore Hall in Baltimore, Maryland on one of the last stops of their An Ending in Itself Tour.
SHYEYE
Shyeye, the Nashville-based solo project of Destiny Keller, kicked off the evening with subdued lighting and a sound rooted in post-hardcore, emo revival, and nu-metal. Keller’s vocals and artistic vision alike brought something uniquely beautiful to the stage.
RAIN CITY DRIVE
Rain City Drive followed shortly after, giving the audience a set to sing along to, balancing melodic hooks with heavier alt-rock instrumentation. Frontman Matt McAndrew carried an energy and charisma that hooked audiences from the start, bringing the energy up to prepare for the headliner.
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
Finally, bathed in a wash of red light, Sleeping With Sirens took the stage, launching into one of their classic hits, “Kick Me.” Fittingly, the entire band showed up with kicks, spins, and jumps that immediately sent the crowd into a surfing frenzy.
Synthesizing nostalgic tracks with newer songs, the band had the most killer setlist I’ve seen at recent shows. “The Bomb Dot Com V2.0” and “A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son” had the room screaming along right beside favorites from their latest album, An Ending In Itself, including the title track, “Forever/Always,” and “House of Matches.”
One of the band's most characteristic, defining strengths has always been the unmistakable voice of frontman Kellin Quinn. His ability to move dexterously from soaring melodic notes to screams is even more pronounced live and the rest of the band matched this skillfulness. Guitarists Nick Martin and Tony Pizzuti delivered hard hitting riffs, often with one leg in the air, and bassist Justin Hills and drummer Matty Best drove the heavier moments of the evening.
The sold-out crowd at Nevermore Hall was a testament to the band’s enduring popularity and the connection that people share with their music, but a packed room was not without its challenges. While the energy and joy was undeniable, not everyone seemed particularly mindful of the people around them, leading to aggressive pushing, crowding, and kicking.
Fortunately, Nevermore Hall has some of the best security I’ve been blessed to work with and they tirelessly kept an eye throughout the evening to ensure the safety and comfort of concertgoers to the best of their ability. Crowd safety has become a common topic of conversation throughout this tour, with Quinn previously speaking out against fighting and aggressive behavior in the pit at shows. His willingness to address these situations reinforces the care that the band has for its fans and the role of community in the alternative music scene. He continually has emphasized that everyone in the room is there together for the same reason and that looking out for one another should be an integral part of the Sleeping With Sirens concert experience.
However, the evening was not over without a brief change of pace, where the band stripped things back for an acoustic portion, playing “I’m Coming Home (Big Gulps)” and “Scene Two: Roger Rabbit.” The contrast between these quieter moments and the rest of the show added to the intimacy of such a popular band performing at a smaller venue and highlighted their emotional range.
Instead of the typical single encore, Sleeping With Sirens delivered above and beyond as always with two more songs after returning to the stage, ending the night with fan favorites “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn” and “If You Can’t Hang.”
Sleeping With Sirens’ entrance into a new chapter with An Ending in Itself is anything but an ending. For many, Sleeping with Sirens represents all of the memories and emotions of their teenage years, but the band is determined to keep accompanying listeners through the current stage of their lives. Their performance at Nevermore Hall proved that moving forward and continuing to create does not mean leaving the past behind entirely.
Although the tour has now concluded, the connection that Sleeping With Sirens has with listeners is anything but finished.
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