Break Down The Walls Tour 3/21/14
It has been over six months since I have walked into the auditorium of Best Buy Theatre in New York City. I honestly can’t recall my last show there. However, break down the walls was worth the long return as every single band on that bill pulled out all the stops to bring the SOLD OUT show to another atmosphere. The show time, while early but appropriate, felt as if there was no shortage of action and even our traditional sense of moshing was turned topsy turvy with all the hits being played by all bands. The adrenaline along with the auditorium floor, was shaking consistently as patrons jumped, screamed, sang and crowd-surfed to their favorite songs. The unison was just an essence that could not be captured by photography alone. Too bad I couldn’t shoot video.
Born of Osiris opened up the show in a demanding fashion. Watching this band has always been a favorite of mine, especially since they usually open up with the first 2 songs off the current album Tomorrow we die alive. Machine and Divergency are flat-liners. These songs together bring forward the energy any party or show needs to get people off the walls and into the pit. I even found myself singing and head banging when I wasn’t shooting photos in the pit. Dave DaRocha and Lee McKinney play effortlessly. Encompassing stances and spur of the moment energy that coordinated nicely with the lighting they had for their set. Ronnie Canizaro, the lead singer, had a more humorous side to him this show around. Unlike their last tour with Periphery, Ronnie was energized, making faces only a singer of his caliber could and acting wholehearted in a jovial fashion. Joe and Ronnie together is always a positive sight to see. However, their lighting could not compliment the interactions they held as they both sang together, especially during Divergency. It was disappointing, but i’ll tell you this much, I managed to capture better photos than the last show. For this, I am grateful. I even got to catch up with Dave after show and talk a bit before he got bum rushed by fans. I always liked these guys for their quality of work. But as people, they are easy-going and very friendly to approach. Their set-list is as follows: Machine, Divergency, Open arms to damnation, Bow down, Follow the signs, Exhilarate.
Crown the empire came on with a bang. This band has come out the woodwork and has put on amazing shows every since their inception on the Rise Records roster. Always a tough shoot with them, but not this time. Their trademark lights of red and orange showed their presence as I anticipated. However, all the lighting after that was spot on. Background lights were in abundance as myself and many other photographers were getting antsy trying to get those crisp composed shots. This is my second time shooting this band and I can honestly say that it is always an adventure. Their unpredictability with their movements on stage + the red/orange light combination make it quite tricky. Their show overall is one of finesse and character. Andy and David, the bands dual vocals, are entertaining beyond anything I have seen on the Rise roster. I watched fans in the audience sing and cheer on as if energy was reserved JUST for this act. Hayden Tree, the bands bassist, just knows how to present himself on stage. He is NOT background bass playing what-so-ever. It’s in your face and commanding. My photos of him were the best of the group, that was my center to make sure I got the right balance of great photography throughout. Check this band out immediately. Catch them on this tour or whatever tour you can. Their setlist is as follows: Makeshift chemistry, Children of love, Johnny’s revenge, Menage, Voices, Oh, Catastrophe and The fallout.
Now, onto my newcomers. We Came as Romans and August Burns Red have been high priority shoots I NEEDED to obtain for my portfolio. Don’t get me wrong, I was completely excited for this show. But, ABR and WCAR sealed the deal for me. The perfect blend of musicianship, rage and momentum is something beyond surreal. WCAR had me very dodgy for my first attempt at photographing them. Their physical feats and spontaneity threw me way off course. I could not manage to get multiple musicians without poor lighting or out of focus pieces of the shot. It drove me crazy. There were instances where I caught all of them at once jumping around feverishly in proper lighting. But once I got over that hill, I just stuck to getting each one alone or in 2’s or 3’s per picture. When singer Dave Stephens jumped off the stage and into the front of the audience, all hell broke loose. There was literally nothing but camera flash, hands in the air and screaming from the people gathered around him. Luckily for me, the lighting from the cell phone cameras provided just what I needed since there was no spotlight on him during this part of the show. WCAR gave me tons of candids and a lot of unique moments. I was pleased with their performance and the results I obtained. I will shoot them again. Without a shout of a doubt. There setlist is as follows: Tracing back roots, Ghosts, Fade away, Glad you came (a cover by The Wanted), Roads that don’t end and views that never cease, Never let me go, Hope & To plant a seed.
August Burns Red was UNBELIEVABLE!!! okay, I got that off my chest. I waited four years to get an opportunity to shoot this band and by the metal gods it was totally worth it. Each shot was better than the last. The atmosphere was vibrant, with fluorescent whites mixing with purple and blue lights in unison. Foreground lighting was prevalent this time, as my photos of their guitarist JB and bassist Dustin Davidson leap out of their photos taken. I was literally floored by how perfect every aspect of the compositions came out to be. Jake’s tenacity and pure adrenaline as the bands vocalist played key roles in structuring his shots with his band members and his microphone. He loved swinging it around and almost using it as cowboy rope. Hanging it down in triumph with his arms raised, looking into the camera as if saying “yeah, this is who I am? GET THE SHOT RIGHT!”. Truly worth the 3 songs and definitely one of my favorite acts thus far in terms of a band I have first shot. Now I know why photographers have been hounding me to shoot this band. It was well worth the wait to have WCAR and ABR shot. Their song list is as follows: Internal cannon, Composure, Empire, Provision, Back burner, Fault line, Poor millionaire and White washed.
The end of line. Thats right folks Asking Alexandria was up next. As if the energy, heat and sheer amount of people wasn’t enough. The energy and suspense built up for this moment. The stage setup was nothing short of awesome. The steps on each side of the stage leading to the drum kit area and the vending machines to give off the Death to Destiny atmosphere were so proper for their act. I thought their were going to be women in them, but it was only extra lights. Disappointing?? not really. I expected this so I just focused on capturing the band. No foreground lighting what-so-ever, so I basically just focused on shadow composition and artificial lighting. The only time it was truly clear was when any band member was in the middle of the stage playing. But, I hate taking photos like that so I became my own worst critic. Asking Alexandria the 2nd time around was absolutely fun to shoot. Unlike the first time I saw them, which was the Monster Outbreak tour with As I Lay Dying, there was no fog or strobe lights that hindered the session altogether. Fighting crowd-surfers and the insane amount of whitewashing from the intense lighting made skin and tonal definitions EXTREMELY tough to encompass within my photos, this is why there are under twenty that I kept to showcase. There set-list is as follows: Don’t pray for me, Run free, Breathless, Someone, somewhere, Reckless & relentless, To the stage, A prophecy, Break down the walls, Killing you, The death of me, Poison, Welcome, Closure and The final episode (Lets change the channel).
Overall, I look back at this show and I realize how steadily the tour packages that are coming out have been nothing short of flawless. This one is of NO EXCEPTION. It’s been selling out venue’s across the USA and this is the main reason why. Fluidity, energy, adrenaline. Break down the walls 2014 is spectacular in every sense of the word. Go check this tour out, because debating it will only lead you to regret. Check out the photo gallery below and also our flickr.com link for advanced photo analysis. That is how the cookie crumbles ladies and gentlemen. Until next time.
–Derek Soto–
Flickr.com Gallery CLICK HERE!!!!
Born of Osiris Gallery
Crown The Empire Gallery
We Came As Romans Gallery
August Burns Red Gallery
Asking Alexandria Gallery
