Escape The Fate seem to have finally hit their stride. It’s taken time, several lineup changes, sound experimentation, numerous tours and festival runs, and probably numerous bottles of whiskey in order for them to generate the sound and musicianship they’ve achieved today. The band made a stop at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge last Wednesday evening, bringing along a tour package of epic proportions.
The night was kicked off with opening sets from up and comers Myka, Relocate; Sirens & Sailors; and Sworn In. All of three of these artists should be watched carefully, as they each bring their own unique aspect to the world of heavy music. The main support for this show was provided by scene veterans A Skylit Drive. I’ve seen these guys several times over the past several years, and their sound improves with each live show they perform. They are yet another example of a band that seems to have finally hit their stride.
By the time Escape The Fate took the stage, the venue was filled with eager fans that had been long awaiting for the five-piece band to return to the Bay Area. The show opened with a newer track, “Just A Memory”, from the band’s upcoming fifth studio album Hate Me (to be released on October 30), before launching into two tracks from 2008’s This War Is Ours, entitled “The Flood” and “10 Miles Wide”. “Ungrateful”, from the 2013 album of the same name, made the crowd erupt, reminding why that track is a personal favorite of mine.
ETF introduced a new track that later premiered that Friday from Hate Me, entitled “Les Enfantes Terribles” (The Terrible Children). The set that followed included remarkable renditions of tracks from the band’s 2010 self-titled effort, including “Massacre”, “Issues”, and “Gorgeous Nightmare”. In my opinion, the self-titled album was their weakest effort, but they did a tremendous job of choosing the best tracks from that release. Two other spectacular tracks from This War Is Ours, “Ashley” and “Something”, made their way into the set.
As a surprise (one that was not marked on the setlist), the band played a rendition of “Situations”, with a guest vocal appearance from Sworn In’s Tyler Dennen. The show closed out with the band playing all three “Guillotine” tracks: “The Guillotine” (Dying Is Your Latest Fashion), “This War Is Ours (Guillotine II)” (This War Is Ours), and “The Aftermath (G3)” (Escape The Fate).
Two spontaneous highlights of the night included the rad drum solo that drummer Robert Ortiz took on, and the closing moments of the night, where vocalist Craig Mabbit kept trying to make an announcement while fans kept trying to give him shots. And he definitely took the shots, before finally giving up trying to make his announcement. Guess we’ll never know what he was trying to tell us. Shame.
Set List:
Just A Memory (Hate Me)
The Flood (This War Is Ours)
10 Miles Wide (This War Is Ours)
Ungrateful (Ungrateful)
Les Enfants Terribles (Hate Me)
Massacre (Escape The Fate)
Issues (Escape The Fate)
Ashley (This War Is Ours)
Something (This War Is Ours)
Remember Every Scar (Hate Me)
Gorgeous Nightmare (Escape The Fate)
One For The Money (Ungrateful)
Situations (ft. Tyler of Sworn In) (Dying Is Your Latest Fashion)
The Guillotine (Dying Is Your Latest Fashion)
This War Is Ours (The Guillotine Part II) (This War Is Ours)
The Aftermath (G3) (Escape The Fate)
You can pre-order the band's new album, Hate Me, at the link below: