Nothing More Brings their CARNAL Tour to Dallas

This Saturday, rockers young and old flooded the South Side Ballroom in Dallas for Nothing More’s “CARNAL” tour. The month-long US tour leg kicked off just a little over a week ago, but is already in full swing with a stacked lineup with acts such as Post Profit, From Ashes to New, and Set It Off.

As soon as the house lights went down for the first time, the crowd went silent in anticipation. They weren’t quiet for long though, as the alternative hard rock band Post Profit ran out onto the stage. Sometimes, when the first band of the night goes on, the crowd is not super responsive and are obviously just waiting for the headliners. However, this was not the case for the crowd-watching Post Profit. It took all of about two songs for the band to win over the crowd as the band jumped around and head banged so hard that I thought their vocalist’s head might fall off of his shoulders. With the way that the band got the majority of the crowd to move around and cheer, you would’ve thought that they were the headliners that night.

Along with their electric performance, Post Profit’s music itself also made them stand out. Many of their tracks sounded like some kind of wonderful mix of bands such as Deftones and Boston Manor, while also having something completely unique to them as well. While still a relatively up-and-coming band, it was very apparent that they closed the night with hundreds of new fans.

After an enthusiastic set from Post Profit, it was time for From Ashes to New to claim the stage. Over the past few years, the band has become a very prominent player in the modern-day nu-metal scene, with songs such as “Panic” and “Heartache” being standouts.

I’ve been to a couple of different From Ashes to New shows, and I am always impressed with the energy that always radiates from the band members when they play. When they are onstage, you can tell that the band is having just as much fun as the fans in the pit. The set lighting and C02 smoke jets are mesmerizing, and the interaction between the band and the crowd is always very heartwarming. The majority of their setlist was made up of songs from the band’s most previous release, “Blackout,” but for their closing song, they went old school, deciding to play the classic “Through It All” off of their first full-length album, “Day One.” While a decent amount of From Ashes to New fans were already present at the show, the band, just like Post Profit, also left with many new ones as well.

Next up was Set It Off. As soon as the first few notes of “Parasite” hit the speakers, fans immediately started singing along with frontman Cody Carson. I’ve seen Set It Off live multiple times over their career, and every time they have been able to captivate the crowd, whether they were the headliners or they were opening for another band. When listening to exciting, upbeat songs such as “Why Worry” and “Kill the Lights” live, it’s no surprise as to why. With the band's signature theatrical instrumentation mixed with the overall excitement of performing that each of the band members gives off, it is truly a thrilling experience for fans of all ages. The end of the band's performance was topped off with a hoard of fans crowd surfing towards the front during the last few songs, two of which were young children having the absolute time of their lives.

After Set It Off concluded their set, there was an anticipatory buzz about the crowd. As soon as the lights went down for a final time that night, the calm before the storm evaporated as the opening instrumental track “|CARNAL|” began to pump through the venue. The Nothing More intro was immediately followed by the industrial guitar riff from the newly-released “HOUSE ON SAND,” effectively capturing the entire room's attention.

The setlist was the perfect blend of songs from their most recent album CARNAL, released this June, along with standout tracks from their previous albums such as SPIRITS and their self-titled Nothing More. The fans were ravenous, and a mosh pit opened up in the middle of the floor several songs into the set. After knocking out high-energy tracks “TIRED OF WINNING” and “SHIPS IN THE NIGHT,” the band eased the audience into the emotionally vulnerable “FREEFALL.” Despite the fact that the song itself still has some bite to it instrumentally, the lyrics are so raw and honest that it is hard not to feel moved as you see it live. You could see that many fans in the crowd felt deeply connected to this track as they sang along at the top of their lungs, some even with tears in their eyes.

The passion never died down as the band soared through more songs from their discography. If anything, the longer the show went on, the rowdier both the band and fans got. Towards the end of the set, lead singer Jonny Hawkins set down a stack of drums on center stage and started beating along to the music with an intensity that made all of his movements seem blurred. The man was literally vibrating with energy. To tie the incredible set together, Nothing More closed with fan favorites “Jenny” and “This Is the Time,” as the audience erupted in cheers that went on for several minutes after the last note was played.

Nothing More has been known for having fantastic live performances for many years, and I am so happy that I was finally able to witness it firsthand. Their “CARNAL” tour only started a little over a week ago at the time of this being written and will continue throughout the US until September 24th. So if you are looking for a high-octane concert experience, take my advice and grab your tickets while you still can. You won’t regret it!