BY AUDREY WILSON
On 2/09/2023, Escape the Fate had an off day from the Rockzilla tour and made a stop in Greenville SC, which happens to be my hometown. I listened to Escape the Fate when I was younger and never thought I would get the chance to see them, so this was definitely a show to remember. Supporting them were two stellar local bands, both of which I have seen before. They were perfect local support for this show!
The first band of the night was Parris Bridge, a blend of metalcore and pop punk from Greenville SC. Parris Bridge happens to be one of my favorite bands and I am lucky to be able to catch most of their shows. They played a “Teenagers” cover by My Chemical Romance and it definitely got the crowd going. They played their newest release “Brick by Brick” and made sure to add some heavy stuff in there too. Parris Bridge has an incredible stage presence and have proved their self in the music scene, even going out on their first tour this year. As their friend, seeing them open for such big bands such as Escape the Fate is so exciting to me
The second band for the evening was local rock band Seven Year Witch. While I say they are “local”, they had a busy 2022 touring with big acts and going all around the country. There is something different and special about a crowd watching Seven Year Witch at the Radio Room. The energy they bring and the stage presence they have will get everyone moving and jumping even if we do not know who they are. I do not go to many Seven Year Witch shows unfortunately; however, when I get the chance to, I am always reminded of how fun and talented they are. They are a very fun band to photograph as well as they dance and jump around more than they stand still.
Last but not least was the incredible Escape the Fate. From the second they went on, the crowd’s energy multiplied and so did the singing, moshing, and crowd surfing. I sang to every song while also shooting the show, which happened to be difficult but fun, nonetheless. Escape the Fate played mainly newer songs with a few old ones but that is bound to happen with the new lineup changes. My favorite one to hear was their new song “H8 Myself”. I have been listening to it a lot since it came out so I was excited to hear it live, and it did not disappoint. The new lineup is doing stellar as Craig Mabbitt fits right in. During the show, Mabbitt interacted a lot with the crowd by taking their phones to take photos and videos from the stage. He even started streaming on Twitch, and included the whole crowd. By the end of the show, Mabbitt started crowd surfing and dancing along with the crowd. This show reminded me how much I thoroughly enjoy Escape the Fate even if they are different from how I used to know them. Their stage presence and level of energy was something to remember. At the end of the show, I got to meet guitarist Matti Hoffman who was very nice and sincere! This show has gotten me back into Escape the Fate and has made me want to catch them again in the future.
SETLIST:
Gorgeous Nightmare
Issues
The Flood
Lightning Strike
H8 Myself
10 Miles Wide
Ungrateful
Something
Ashley
Broken Heart
The War is Ours (The Guillotine II)
Not my Problem
One for the Money