Underoath, Dave Gavin Dance, and Veil of Maya
White-Oak Music Hall // Houston, TX // May 23rd, 2018
Photos and review by Heather Ann Phillips
Veil of Maya
Dance Gavin Dance
Underoath
Underoath’s No Fix Tour made a stop last Wednesday evening at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, TX. Although the stormy weather of the week forced this show to be inside instead of out, it did not take away from the atmosphere and energy of the performance or crowd enthusiasm. Support for this tour came from the bands Limbs, Veil of Maya, and Dance Gavin Dance, all of whom succeeded in getting the crowd ready for the main act.
The house lights dimmed and a large video wall was illuminated at the back of the stage with a shaky photo of the cover art from the band’s new album, Erase Me. Guitarist Tim McTague was the first out on stage and began pounding a drum on the side of the stage along with drummer Aaron Gillespie before the band broke into the first single off the new album, “On My Teeth”.
The crowd was off their feet from the get-go, trying to match the high energy of vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. Chamberlain was a blur of blonde hair most of the evening, seeming to never take a break between head banging, swinging his mic, and screaming along with the crowd. The setlist was not strictly new material; the band managed to provide a good mix from previous albums and, of course, classics like “Reinventing Your Exit” and “It’s A Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door” from the fan favorite album, They’re Only Chasing Safety.
Chamberlain took a moment towards the end of the set to speak about the new album and how much getting the band back together helped him to cope with addiction that he was struggling with and ultimately overcame. It is always admirable when musicians open up about these kind of things and promote a positive message that resonates with the crowd.
It’s been eight long years since Underoath released any new material, but it has been well worth the wait because the band is back, louder and better than ever. The U.S. portion of the No Fix Tour is unfortunately done and the band will soon be heading overseas to perform a series of headlining shows and festivals, but with so much new material waiting to be played and the dedication of many loyal fans, my bet is Underoath will be back in the states playing more shows in no time.
