Kyle Pavone of We Came As Romans performing at Social Hall in San Francisco, CA. Photo: Jared Stossel
Memphis May Fire & We Came As Romans
w/ Miss May I, For Today
Social Hall
San Francisco, CA
Would you look at that? We're almost completely caught up on writing! Okay, full speed ahead!
This show occurred back at the beginning of May, and this is one of those events where literally every band is not only fantastic, but has the ability to stand out on their own. They've forged their own identity over a number of years, and each could easily headline the stage if they really wanted to. This was indeed the case for the electrifying "Man Vs. Food" Tour, co-headlined by metalcore's very own Memphis May Fire and We Came As Romans, two bands that have established a name for them within the music scene and on their own terms.
The openers on this tour, however, have their own unique and varied history as well, making this a particularly unique brand of tour. For Today opened the show, playing with enough vigor and intensity that they could have easily headlined or at least garnered a coveted main support slot. While For Today has established themselves as an openly Christian metal band throughout the metal community, they were welcomed with completely open arms by the audience. A wide mosh pit broke out during the first song and stayed open throughout the course of their incredibly powerful and heavy set.
Following For Today was one of my personal favorites, Miss May I. MMI is a band that has consistently gotten heavier and heavier with every record they've put out. Their most recent effort, Deathless, is the perfect amalgamation of their previous four albums, and it's done so successfully that any band in the scene should envy their ability to compose and maintain musicianship in the way that they do. Their chaotic, thirty-five minute set did not disappoint in the least.
We Came As Romans took the stage with the first co-headlining slot of the evening. The Michigan natives brought their show to San Francisco, with a bevy of tracks from their most recent, self-titled album, one in which marked a significant change in their sound thanks to the masterful collaboration with producer David Bendeth (Of Mice & Men, Bring Me The Horizon, Paramore). The six-piece metalcore outfit has always put on a great show, but that night they were in particularly top form. Everyone on stage seemed completely energized and happy to be there; you could tell that there wasn't anywhere else in the world that they would rather be than right up on that stage.
To conclude the night, Memphis May Fire brought their always-captivating live show to Social Hall. While WCAR could have easily closed the night, I feel like Memphis May Fire's setlist was perfect for a closing set. It was orchestrated in a such a way that it felt like the conclusion to a great movie; after all the twists, turns, and adventure we encountered in the motion picture of a concert we encountered, MMF provided the perfect climax for the evening.
This is a tour that was definitely one for the books. Hopefully we have more like it in the future.
Memphis May Fire
www.facebook.com/MemphisMayFire
@MemphisMayFire
We Came As Romans
www.facebook.com/wecameasromans
@wecameasromans
Miss May I
www.facebook.com/MissMayIMusic
@missmayiband
For Today
www.facebook.com/ForToday
@fortodayband
This has been another Shameless Promotion.