Badflower Comes to Asheville: A Night of Catharsis and Raw Emotion

There are very few bands with a sound quite as infectious as Badflower. I can’t get enough of their heavy, introspective themes layered over catchy and poppy rock. I had the pleasure of photographing them three years ago and have been eagerly anticipating the opportunity again. They finally brought a tour back to North Carolina this week, the 'No Place Like Home tour'.

Fans piled into The Orange Peel, a medium-sized venue in the heart of downtown Asheville. The standing-room-only venue holds 1,050 people but Badflower fans of all ages filled it with ease. The modest venue allows for an air of intimacy between the artists and fans, which is ideal for a band like this who truly do their best to connect with their fans.

MISSIO was up first and honestly blew my mind. They kicked off with a BANG, and I think all of us who were new to the band were just there with our jaws on the floor. It’s rare for me to encounter a new band at a show and follow them on Spotify immediately, but I absolutely did that with MISSIO!!! Formed in Austin, Texas in 2014, MISSIO is made up of Matthew Brue and David Butler. Their discography boasts and impressive five studio albums and seven EP's, with the most recent, I Am Cinco, having been released this year.

Next to the stage were alt-rockers Slothrust from Boston. Slothrust consists of Leah Wellbaum on lead vocals/guitar and Will Gorin on drums, as well as a touring bassist. The duo have released five studio albums since 2010, which you can check out here. My favorite moment from their set was their cover of "Pony" by Ginuwine.

This life is overwhelming and I'm ready for the next one...

Badflower finally took the stage and the roar from the crowd was deafening. They kicked right off with "Teacher's Got a Gun," before diving into their hit "Don't Hate Me." Throughout the set, Badflower delivered a mix of tracks from both of their studio albums, OK, I’m Sick and This Is How the World Ends. Frontman Josh Katz also took several moments between songs to share stories and express his gratitude to each fan.

Is there anybody out there looking out for me?

Overall, this evening was full of therapeutic music, reminding us that we aren't alone. Interestingly enough, it was also one of the most high-energy shows I've ever photographed. Badflower's unique talent is combining fun and catchy music with powerful lyrics about life's heaviest topics. The result is genuine, authentic, and the truest testament to the power of music.