Let me take you on a journey, as a concert photographer/journalist. You just pull up to your office for the night, House of Blues in Boston, MA. Your gear is packed. You make your way through the line of people down Landsdowne Street to the box office for your passes. Then you finally get inside where you’re greeted by the sea of people all packed on the floor to see Metalcore Kings, Underoath with special guests Spiritbox, Bad Omens, and Stray From The Path. The feeling in the room is electric. If you were to ask me what my favorite thing about concerts is, I’d tell you exactly that. It’s the electric feeling in the room, it’s everybody screaming their favorite songs back at the band that they’ve been dying to see, it’s the fact that when we’re there nothing else matters. We can forget about life and just enjoy the show — hell, we can enjoy life for a moment! Enough about that though, back to the show… You make your way to the front where you meet all of your photographer friends, what an incredible feeling to be friends with such talented people who love the same things — music and art. Now it’s time to get in the pit (heh, see what I did there?) The lights dim. The crowd screams. The lights flash and the bands take the stage… 

On March 24, 2022, metalcore kings UNDEROATH invaded the House of Blues in Boston where they were joined by special guests SPIRITBOX, BAD OMENS, and STRAY FROM THE PATH. Being a huge fan of these bands I had high expectations for the night and man were they met! It was an absolutely killer show! The energy brought by the bands and the crowd blended together and made for a memorable night.

First up, we had Stray From The Path. It was the first time I had seen (and heard of) these dudes and let me tell you, they are no joke! This band is made up of members: singer Drew Dijorio, guitarist Tom Williams, bassist Anthony Altamura, and drummer Craig Reynolds. The performance they put on is absolutely insane! High energy from start to finish. They got us started with an eight song set: The House Always Wins, Outbreak, Goodnight Alt-Right, Fortune Teller, Second Death, Guillotine, Badge & A Bullet, and First World Problem Child.

Next, Bad Omens took the stage. This band from Richmond, VA is made up of members: singer Noah Sebastian, guitarist Joakim Karlsson, bassist Nick Ruffilo, and drummer Nick Folio. As always, these guys put on one rad show. They played a seven song set consisting of: The Death of Peace & Mind, Artificial Suicide, Like A Villain, What Do You Want From Me?, Never Know, Limits, and Dethrone.

Following them, the eagerly anticipated, Spiritbox took over the stage. It was clear in that moment what was about to happen and it. was. everything. There wasn’t a single person standing still or quiet during their seven song set consisting of: Rule of Nines, Circle With Me, Blessed Be, Hurt You, Constance, Holy Roller, and Eternal Blue. Husband and wife duo Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer know how to work a crowd. Along with drummer Zev Rose and bassist Bill Crook, these four are incredible.

Now for the main event, UNDEROATH INVADED THE STAGE AND ABSOLUTELY KILLED IT! Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, rhythm guitarist James Smith, lead guitarist Tim McTague, drummer Aaron Gillespie, bassist Grant Brandell and keyboardist Chris Dudley remain untouchable. The performance these guys put on is perfect. Every single time. The lights. The screams. The tone. Everything. They seriously amaze me every time I see them because even when I think they can’t get any better, THEY DO! So after seeing them a couple times before, I knew I was about to witness some serious energy from both the band and the crowd for the rest of the night. From moshers to crowd surfers to people just screaming along, the energy was nonstop.

They gave us a thirteen song set with an additional two for an encore. They played songs off of their albums Voyeurist (4), Define The Great Line (3), Lost in The Sound of Separation (3), They’re Only Chasing Safety (3), and Erase Me (2). This show is truly a full body experience — the sound, the lights, the ravenous urge to scream and move surely left us all a bit sore the next day. But it was well worth it. If you enjoy concerts as much as I do, you need to get to one of these shows! If it’s a euphoric experience that you’re looking for, this is exactly where you need to be.