After having just a month at home after finishing their tour with New Found Glory, Massachusetts’ own pop punk band, Four Year Strong kicked off their Enemy of the World tour on September 22nd. On day three of the tour (September 24th), FYS brought the show to Charlotte’s Amos’ Southend. Along for the ride was Save Face and Microwave.
First to take the stage was Save Face. Prior to seeing their name on this tour, I’d never heard of them. The New Jersey group arrived on stage in matching jumpsuits and made it clear from the get-go they were here to throw down whether you’d heard of them or not.
Lead vocalist Tyler Povanda’s stage presence was extraordinary; wielding the mic stand as his weapon of choice while wildly flinging his head and body. He occupied every available space and filled it with explosive energy. Bassist Robbie (RB) Roe , guitarist Page Ragan, and touring guitarist Tyler Erhard brought the groove while drummer Dan Sakumolo kept a steady energetic beat, seamlessly vibing with one another, and passing that energy onto a welcoming crowd. Playing tunes off of their current record Another Kill for the Highlight Reel, songs like “Glitter” and “Bury Me (Tonight)” hooked onlookers immediately. Songs from 2018’s “Merci” had die hard fans off their feet, screaming the lyrics.
Save Face was the perfect start to a night full of great acts. The group had every head bobbing and set the bar high as far as energy goes for the coming performances.
Next up, Atlanta’s own Microwave took the stage. At first glance you would think they were like anyone else there to see a rock show. Lead vocalist Nathan Hardy along with bassist Tyler Hill, guitarist Travis Hill, and drummer Timothy ‘Tito’ Pittard casually took the stage. They picked up their instruments, and proceeded to keep the crowds energy going.
A more mellow group than the previous set, Microwave brought a solid groove and had the crowd locked in to every moment they were on stage. “Lighterless” and other songs off their 2016 album Much Love had fans screaming the lyrics and swaying in unison. Their latest release Death is a Warm Blanket from 2019 boasts more of the same slow building energy that has concert goers ready to blow the roof off the venue when songs like “Leather Daddy” hit their climax.
Getting a chance to run into Nathan and Tito after the show, you get a real sense of how down to Earth these guys are and why their fans like them so much. They definitely gained a new one in me.
Last, but certainly not least, Four Year Strong was set to take the stage. As the lights faded and equipment started being placed on stage by staff, the crowd began to shift. Starting in the back and gaining momentum crowd goers began to chant “FOUR YEAR STRONG!” The energy was palpably building.
As the band took to the stage, they of course opened up with Enemy of the World‘s first heavy-hitter, “It Must Really Suck to Be FYS”, and the energy exploded.
I can tell you it did not suck to see how responsive the crowd was to everything vocalist/guitarists Dan O’Connor and Alan Day belted into their mics while bassist Joe Weiss and drummer Jake Massucco provided the heavy hitting rhythmic foundation. High fives to anyone they could reach and crowd surfers galore as the band progressed through each song on the album. Some they’re playing live for the first time, but you’d never know for how spot on every note and lyric were played.
Their encore included songs off of their latest release Brain Pain and selections from Rise or Die Trying. Each member of the band poured their heart and soul out onto that stage, leaving nothing to lose. As they finished up their set with “Heroes Get Remembered”, the crowd went absolutely insane. There were so many crowd surfers and stage divers as every single person screamed the lyrics right back.
As many crowd goers would say, “the best seat in the house is from the pit.”
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FOUR YEAR STRONG / MICROWAVE / SAVE FACE
