"The Fearless Records signed band from Tampa, Florida made their stop in Portland, Oregon last week and with two more stops left of their The Midnight World Tour: Part 5 USA/Canada, the band gave it their all, leaving an exceptional impression."
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Must See
Set It Off
Holocene // Portland, Oregon // February 19th, 2020
Review by Bruna Cucolo
Imagine a place where one can feel safe and welcome, a place where one’s body is filled with excitement and nonstop movement. For me, this place is a Set It Off concert. The Fearless Records signed band from Tampa, Florida made their stop in Portland, Oregon last week and with two more stops left of their The Midnight World Tour: Part 5 USA/Canada, the band gave it their all, leaving an exceptional impression. They were joined by the bands Cemetery Sun and Capstan, two bands that got the job done with getting the crowd excited about the headliner.
Cemetery Sun was the first opener of the night. Right away, the lead singer got the audience clapping and jumping during their first song. With the crowd being told to bounce, clap, jump, and wave their arms, they were able to let loose and feel prepared for what was next. Then the second and final opener Capstan were up, and they began with a loud musical sound that had intensely powerful vocal screams. Although this was not expected by some individuals in the crowd, the entire room gave them their full attention anyway. With semi fast paced music, those in the audience were able to mosh and create a circle pit with ease. At the end of their performance, the band took the opportunity to give a message to the crowd about building each other up and finding something that is good, ending their set in a truly special and memorable way.
Then the entire venue heard “One minute to midnight” over the speakers and everyone screamed in excitement. Once the minute was over, lights flashed crazily all over the stage and the show began. Set If Off began their set with “Lonely Dance,” frontman Cody Carson singing “One step forward, one step backwards” which caused the crowd to begin to move around in the exact motion. Then, once the chorus hit, Carson had the audience waving their arms along to the song – the show was just like this throughout with constant movement and engagement from the band and the audience.
A crowd favorite was when drummer Maxx Danziger took over the stage to perform “Bad Guy” on the ukulele while Carson played drums. A second favorite was the intermission bit when Danziger played drums along to some popular songs from the past decade including “Hot Girl Bummer” by Blackbear and “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey. Halfway through this piece, Carson, Danziger, and guitarist Zach DeWall hit center stage as Pitch Perfect’s “Cups” came on through the speakers and they executed the routine with actual cups perfectly, something the crowd went wild for.
The band performed songs from their early days such as “You Are Loved,” fan favorites “N.M.E.” and “Duality,” and new songs like “Killer In The Mirror” and “Catch Me If You Can.” Having performed songs from a large range of their career, long-term fans were able to reminisce over when the band just began, and new fans got to experience and see, maybe for the first time, what Set It Off is really about.
Carson, during the show, also took the time to say a few memorable words, expressing that “everyone is accepted here” and also touched on the topic of anxiety. These moments allowed those in the venue to see that the band is humble and they too deal with hard things in life, making everyone in attendance feel more accepted and less alone. It was unforgettable.
Set It Off’s shows are magical and you can see how raw the three members – Carson, Danziger, and DeWall – are especially after the lights go down and their set begins. After all is said and done, the band even stays after their shows to hug and meet all of their fans, reminding them that they will be back in their city before fans know it.
