A Day to Remember

with Underoath, The Word Alive, Close Your Eyes

Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA • November 6, 2010

Kristina Kauffman

Wrapping up their first week of a major US tour in Allentown, Florida’s A Day to Remember was responsible for the line that wrapped around the block of the Crocodile Rock Cafe last Saturday night.

Also to blame for the mass turnout were Christian metal-core band and fellow Floridians Underoath, a band that usually headlines its own tour. The Word Alive and Close Your Eyes rounded out the bill.

As the lights dimmed, the crowd went crazy and out came Close Your Eyes. Singer Shane Raymond was full of energy – so much energy, in fact, that he tumbled right off of the stage landing face-down on the floor inside of the security barricade. Curled up in a fetal position, a few tense moments passed before he picked himself up, gave the crowd an “Oh well” look, and finished up the set unfazed.

Also bursting with energy was The Word Alive, whose vocalist, Tyler “Telle” Smith, blew the crowd away with his range of both singing and screaming. Metalcore was a hit with this particular PA crowd, and thanks to these two early openers, the crowd surfing got started up early.

In a bright shock of neon green, Underoath started their set off right with the song “Illuminator,” off of their upcoming album Disambiguation. Their performance was an intense blur of dreadlocks and strobe lights. Underoath lacked nothing in stage presence, and they seemed to have a true connection with their fans. They played a few songs off of their anticipated album, as well as some older songs such as “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door,” ending their set perfectly with crowd-pleaser “Writing on the Walls.” The whole place seemed to be singing along.

By the time A Day to Remember arose with confetti guns bursting, the room was virtually exploding with screams. The first song played was the intense “2nd Sucks,” off of their upcoming Victory Records release What Separates Me from You. Playing a mixed setlist of old and new (well, as “old” as a five-year-old band can get), the fans were kept happy enough to keep up the pogoing. Vocalist Jeremy McKinnon got everyone involved, holding the microphone out for everyone to sing, though he hardly needed to point the mic to the crowd to hear his lyrics sung back in his direction.

As the set neared its end, the humidity level in the club was thick and pungent with sweat. Kids were getting pulled over the barricade one after the other, in an attempt to cool off and catch their breath. The band got no such break.

An encore was called for and given; “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle” was the closing rocker of the night and the song that was sure to be rattling inside of many skulls as the exhausted fans filed out into the night.

A Day to Remember: http://www.adtr.com • Underoath: http://www.underoath777.com ◼