Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Black Veil Brides Close Out the First Leg of the Vindicatour in Dominant Fashion
One of modern rock’s most influential bands made their return to the Washington, D.C. area on May 29th, bringing a night full of nostalgia, energy, and some of the strongest material of their career. The Black Veil Brides brought the Vindicatour to The Fillmore in Silver Spring, joined by From Ashes to New, TX2, and As December Falls, for a stacked lineup that kept fans on their feet from the first note of the night until the final encore.
The evening began with a milestone performance for British rock outfit As December Falls. The tour marks the band’s first run through the United States, and they wasted no time making an impression on the Maryland crowd. Opening with “Carousel,” the band immediately brought an infectious groove to the stage. Their blend of soaring vocals, heavy guitars, and catchy hooks proved to be the perfect way to kick off the night.
Frontwoman Beth Curtis commanded the stage with confidence well beyond that of a band making its American touring debut. Songs like “Mayday” showcased the group’s ability to balance heaviness with melody, while the audience continued to grow throughout their set. By the time they closed with “Therapy,” it was clear that many fans had discovered a new band to add to their playlists. If this first American tour is any indication, As December Falls has a bright future ahead of them in the United States and beyond.
The energy continued to rise when TX2 took the stage. Known for their unapologetic approach to modern rock and alternative music, TX2 delivered a very energetic performance. Opening with “Feed,” they immediately had the crowd engaged as fans packed closer to the stage. Whether people came into the venue familiar with their music or not, it was difficult not to get caught up in the hype of the performance. Songs like “So Numb” had the crowd banging their heads while the band delivered a relentless wall of sound that kept the momentum moving forward. TX2 has developed a reputation for connecting with younger rock fans, and it was easy to see why throughout their set. Their performance concluded with “I Would Hate Me Too,” a fitting closer. By the end of the set, TX2 had successfully prepared the crowd for the heavier portion of the evening.
From Ashes to New took over next and delivered a kick-ass set that proved why they are the band to see on any tour they are a part of. Opening with “New Disease” from the band’s recently released album Reflections, the Pennsylvania rockers showcased the new sound that has propelled them to heights never before seen by some of the humblest people in rock. The energy only intensified as they rolled into fan favorites “Nightmare” and “Heartache.” Matt Brandyberry and Danny Case, joined by Mat Madiro, Lance Dowdle, and Jimmy Bennett, sounded tremendous throughout the set, effortlessly switching between soaring melodies, aggressive screams, and hard-hitting rap sections. The crowd responded by singing every word back to the band.
There was an added emotional layer to the performance as the show took place close to Brandyberry’s hometown. Throughout the night, he spoke about family members being in attendance and reflected on how meaningful the evening was for him personally. One particularly moving moment came when he acknowledged the wife and son of a close friend who had passed away. The heartfelt moment injected a sense of perspective into an otherwise high-octane performance and demonstrated the strong connection the band has with their fans and family.
One of the biggest highlights of the set came when Beth Curtis of As December Falls joined the band for “Barely Breathing.” The collaboration sounded fantastic live and earned one of the loudest reactions of the night up to that point. From Ashes to New closed their set with “Panic,” bringing their performance to an explosive finish and leaving the crowd eager for what was still to come.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived!
As the lights dimmed inside The Fillmore, anticipation reached a fever pitch. The Black Veil Brides have spent nearly two decades building one of the most dedicated fanbases in rock music, and judging by the reaction inside the venue, that loyalty remains stronger than ever.
The band opened with longtime fan favorite “Knives and Pens,” and the reaction was immediate. Fans erupted as Andy Biersack made his way across the stage while Jinxx, Jake Pitts, CC and Lonny Eagleton delivered the massive sound that has defined Black Veil Brides for years. From the opening notes, it was clear the crowd was there for BVB.
One of the most impressive aspects of the performance was the balance between the old and new. The band showcased several songs from its newest era, including “Bleeders,” “Vindicate,” and “Revenger.” While newer songs can sometimes struggle to match the reaction of established classics, that was not the case in Silver Spring. Fans exclaimed their cheers loudly throughout the new material, proving just how well the songs have connected with the BVB community.
As always, stage presence was one of the strongest elements of a BVB show. Biersack spent much of the evening interacting with fans, reading signs, responding to comments from the crowd, and making sure every section of the venue felt involved. In between songs, audience members shouted everything from compliments to completely random remarks, creating several entertaining exchanges that kept the atmosphere loose and personal.
The interaction between the band and the audience is something that has always separated BVB from their peers. Fans were not simply watching a concert; they felt like they were part of the show itself. The second half of the set was filled with some of the biggest songs in the band’s catalog. “Rebel Love Song” transformed the venue into one massive choir as hundreds of voices joined together. “Wake Up” brought another surge of energy, with fans refusing to let the momentum slow down.
Of course, no Black Veil Brides show would be complete without an encore. The band returned to the stage for “Lost It All” before closing the evening with a fitting metaphor for the finale of a show, “In the End.” As the closing notes rang throughout The Fillmore, the crowd erupted one final time. It was the perfect ending to an exceptional night of music.
If this tour is coming anywhere near you, do not miss the opportunity to see it. Nights like this are exactly why live music remains such a special experience.
The first part of the Vindicatour ended on Saturday night in Worcester, MA. BVB will be back in the States for Part II after their trip across the pond for the summer European festival circuit.
Tickets for the Part II, starting in late August, can be purchased on the BVB website linked below. Don’t miss out!
Follow along with the band’s many adventures at their socials:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // TikTok
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
FROM ASHES TO NEW
TX2
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: The Red Clay Strays Bring the Grateful Tour to Rogers Arena
The Red Clay Strays brought their Grateful Tour to Vancouver on August 30, supported by Wyatt Flores and Sweet Talk. I’ll admit it: before Sunday night, my familiarity with The Red Clay Strays went about as far as “Wondering Why.”
I knew the Alabama band had become one of the fastest-rising names in country and Southern rock, and I knew Brandon Coleman had a reputation for being the kind of frontman people compared to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and just about every other cool guy to ever stand behind a microphone. But there is always a risk when walking into a show knowing only the hit. Sometimes you spend the night waiting for the one song you recognize, but that was not the case at Rogers Arena.
Sweet Talk and Wyatt Flores got things going, giving the night a strong foundation before the headliners took over. Flores, in particular, already had plenty of fans in the building, and his set helped get the arena moving early. By the time The Red Clay Strays walked onstage, the room was ready.
The band opened with “Demons in Your Choir,” immediately showing why its sound has connected with so many people. The Red Clay Strays do not sit comfortably inside one genre. There is country in their music, obviously, but there is Southern rock, gospel, blues and plenty of old-school rock and roll mixed in. Trying to neatly categorize them feels a little beside the point.
What stood out most to me was how little the band seemed interested in playing up the scale of the room. 18 months ago, they were playing 2 sold out shows at the Commodore Ballroom, making the jump to Rogers Arena in 2026 pretty striking. Rogers Arena is a massive space, and this is the biggest kind of stage The Red Clay Strays have started playing regularly. But they never felt like they were trying to become a generic arena band overnight.
Of course, Coleman is hard to ignore. The Elvis comparisons make sense on a surface level: the pompadour, the old-school style and the way he moves around the stage all bring those comparisons to mind. But the more I watched him, the less useful those comparisons became. Coleman has his own way of commanding a stage, and his voice is the real deal.
There were several moments throughout the night when he let loose on a note and cut through everything around him. It was not polished in a way that felt overly perfect, either. There was grit in his voice, and sometimes a little roughness, which made the stronger moments hit harder.
The band moved through songs including “Stone’s Throw,” “Walking Away,” “Devil in My Ear,” “Ghosts” and “People Hatin’,” with the musicians remaining impressively tight throughout. They have reportedly been playing together in one form or another for years, and that connection was easy to see.
When it was time for “Wondering Why,” Rogers Arena predictably lost its mind. The opening moments were enough to turn the audience into one enormous singalong, and one of those goosebump moments. Even as someone who came into the show with limited knowledge of the band’s catalog, I could not help but get caught up in it. Thankfully, the show did not lose momentum after its biggest song. In fact, I found some of the strongest material came later.
“Drowning” and “I’m Still Fine” gave Coleman some of his best vocal moments of the night, while “Moments” slowed things down without killing the energy. That is not always easy in an arena show. The quieter songs can sometimes disappear in a room that size, but the audience stayed with them.
One of the evening’s most memorable moments came before the band launched back into the set when one of their three touring backing vocalists stepped forward to sing “O Canada.” She told the crowd that she regularly performs national anthems at NHL games and had always hoped to sing Canada’s anthem in Canada. The Rogers crowd loved it.
They ended with “Fool’s Gold,” “Wanna Be Loved,” “Grateful” and “No One Else Like Me,” sending the crowd home after a generous and well-paced set.
The Red Clay Strays are clearly in the middle of a major rise. Their Grateful Tour has taken them into some of the biggest venues of their career, and the rooms will probably keep getting bigger. The good news, at least based on what I saw in Vancouver, is that they have not lost the thing that got them here.
Head here for more information about The Red Clay Strays’ Grateful Tour.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE RED CLAY STRAYS
WYATT FLORES
SWEET TALK
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Luke Bryan Turns a Thursday Night in Ottawa Into a Country Party
People were already dancing and cheering as they walked to the line at the Canadian Tire Centre. That was probably the first sign that Luke Bryan’s Word On The Street Tour stop in Ottawa wasn’t going to feel much like a Thursday night.
Drew Baldridge got the night started while the arena was just starting to see people on their seats, but you wouldn’t have known it from watching him. He and his band played like the seats were already full. Covering Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” was also a pretty foolproof way to get an Ottawa crowd warmed up.
Lauren Watkins came next. Cowboy hats were becoming harder to avoid, people were starting to groove, and the arena was noticeably filling up. Like Baldridge before her, Watkins wasn’t trying to reinvent country music. She was there to celebrate it.
Then Lanie Gardner came flying out in sunglasses with a band that looked like they had collectively decided it was still 1993, and it worked. They hit hard from the start, and Gardner had the advantage of playing to an arena that was now getting close to what it would look like for the headliner. People were louder, drinks were flowing, and it finally felt like Luke Bryan was next.
Except he wasn’t. Not quite yet. Bryan was a little late getting onstage, so a DJ was tasked with keeping a packed Canadian Tire Centre entertained. Instead of killing the momentum, it turned the wait into its own little party. By the time the lights finally went down, people were more than ready.
And when he finally came out, the noise was unreal. The Canadian Tire Centre looked packed. For a Thursday night in Ottawa, that alone was impressive. When Bryan started playing, everyone in the building seemingly knew every word. That’s the difference between knowing someone has a lot of hits and actually seeing what those hits do to an arena.
Bryan has been one of the biggest country artists of his generation for long enough that these songs belong to his audience almost as much as they belong to him. There were moments where he could have stopped singing entirely and the show probably wouldn’t have missed a word.
The band deserves just as much credit for how good the night sounded. Everyone on that stage could play. The guitars were huge, the rhythm section hit hard, and the banjo or slide guitar rang through the entire arena in a way that was impossible to ignore.
Nothing about the show needed to be complicated. Luke Bryan showed up with a killer band, a ridiculous number of songs people knew by heart, and an arena full of fans who wanted to party. Sometimes that’s enough.
Actually, judging by the noise inside the Canadian Tire Centre, it was more than enough.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LUKE BRYAN
LANIE GARDNER
LAUREN WATKINS
DREW BALDRIDGE
All Photo Credit: Gonzo Wassermann