Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada performing at The UC Theater in Berkeley, CA. November 4, 2016. Photo: Jared Stossel

The Devil Wears Prada
w/ Memphis May Fire, Silverstein, Like Moths To Flames
The UC Theater
Berkeley, CA
November 4, 2016

First of all, I'll get my opinion out of the way surrounding the show. This was one of the best metal lineups of the entire year, and I truly mean that. Every band was perfect. But it's too bad that this show wasn't around this week rather than last. Some heavy music has been much needed given the state of the country.

We'll get to that another time, though. Back to the positives. This show was perfect, particularly if you are a lover of modern metal. We had in our presence four of the most musically talented and intricate groups in the metalcore community, all stacked on one incredible bill headlined by none other than Ohio's The Devil Wears Prada.

The show was kicked off with another Ohio metalcore outfit, Like Moths To Flames. While the lighting wasn't the greatest (sorry, I'm a photographer; I notice these things), the energy was elevated throughout the room the second the band took the stage. The band have produced three incredibly heavy records to date, and they did a nice job with selecting their setlist that evening, which comprised of their best material from each album.

The band that followed is one that I will always say is severely underrated: Silverstein. I'll admit that it was rather puzzling to see them second on a bill of four bands, yet they performed as if they were headlining the night. This was one of the greatest aspects of the show that evening the fact that every band clearly seemed to give it one hundred and fifteen percent. Silverstein performed an incredibly mystifying and powerful set for their thirty minutes on stage, leaving fans ready for the rest of an electrifying night.

I never know what to expect when I see Memphis May Fire because I always forget not only how much I like them, but how great they are as musicians. The band are currently touring in support of their newest album, This Light I Hold, and while they performed a good deal of tracks from their current effort, the back didn't hold back any heavy-hitting fan favorites from albums like The Hollow, Unconditional, and Challenger.

I'm proud to say that The Devil Wears Prada truly proved that, regardless of lineup setbacks, changes in sound, or whatever obstacle may stand in their way, they are an incredible band in a live setting. I wasn't completely sure what to expect, given that their lineup only consists of three of the original band members now (drummer Daniel Williams being the most recent to split), but their touring crew were really able to hold their own. The songs came to life, and the tracks from Prada's newest offering, Transit Blues, blew me away.

My favorite part of the night easily provided a bit of nostalgia, and improved upon a downside that I found in Prada's performance the last time I saw them. It's clear that their first two records, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (in particular, "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over") and Plagues were albums that are cherished by fans and broke the band into the scene. The last two or three times I've seen them perform, the band have completely removed songs from those records out of their set list. This time, however, it's clear that the band decided to acknowledge this, regardless of their own personal discrepancies with their older material. They packaged "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over", "HTML Rulez Dood", and "Reptar King Of The Ozone" into one song (taking what I think were the best parts of each track), and then going straight into a full performance of Plagues' "Dear John, What's your Name Again?"

Every release from The Devil Wears Prada was touched on at least once during the night, proving that this was indeed a "career-spanning" performance. My excitement for seeing this band perform has never hindered, and I eagerly await the day when they return to the Bay Area.

Set List:
Praise Poison
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Outnumbered
To the Key of Evergreen
Escape
Born to Lose
Flyover States
Daughter
First Sight
Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over / Reptar, King of the Ozone / HTML Rulez D00d
Hey John, What's Your Name Again?
Planet A
Supernova
Asteroid
Danger: Wildman
Encore:
Mammoth