by Melissa Komar
I’ll admit it: I’m a virgin when it comes to Christian metalcore bands like The Devil Wears Prada. I’ve gone as far as first base, hitting up shows where bands of the genre were openers or featured acts (most notably Underoath at Warped Tour 2004, who TDWP has openly acknowledged as a musical influence), but never did I dare brave a venue hosting an entire line-up of hard-hitting rockers, with a well-established veteran band headlining. On Saturday night, December 14th, The Devil Wears Prada broke my seal, putting on head banging, mosh-pitting, and even mesmerizing heck of a show at the Trocadero in Center City, Philadelphia as part of their 8:18 Tour.
Fans lined Arch Street for the 7 p.m. show, braving the wintry conditions that foreshadowed the musical storm of thick bass and guttural dirty vocals that hit the Troc in the form of Texas in July, Volumes, The Ghost Inside, and headliner The Devil Wears Prada on Saturday night and were rewarded heavily for their die-hard passion.
Texas in July (photo credit, Melissa Komar)
Lancaster-based band Texas in July opened the night, playing a thirty minute set that saw the crowd immediately erupt in pitting like cabin-fever gone wild. Their song selection generated a flurry of continuous energy and current lead vocalist J.T. Cavey encouraged fans to circle-pit and crowd-surf (with the promise of two more songs). Texas in July ended their set with Cavey jumping down from the stage to high-five the visibly satisfied crowd, reflecting the down-to-earth attitude conveyed during their set, before turning it over to the next band.
Volumes (photo credit, Melissa Komar)
Volumes took the stage twenty minutes to eight and also played a 30 minute set. There was a definite change in style, the band firing the crowd up with expletives and grinding out songs that combined heavy percussion, growling vocals, and even verses reminiscent of rapping. Driven by a thick bass, Los Angeles based Volumes turned up the crowd energy yet another notch, with three separate mosh-pits forming behind the barricade at the front of the stage.
The third and final band to play before The Devil Wears Prada was Los-Angeles based The Ghost Inside. Their reputation as an established act was evident from the moment they started their set, the audience clearly and loudly singing along to each song. With much of the crowd on the main floor already moshing, The Ghost Inside enticed even the more laid-back, older balcony crowd, many of them rising to their feet and most, if not all, joining the chorus of the already-singing crowd below.
The Ghost Inside (photo credit, Melissa Komar)
Mid-way through their set, much to the approval of the crowd, the lead vocalist of Texas in July joined The Ghost Inside, lending his vocals for a brief verse. The Ghost Inside closed their set with “White Light”, penned by lead vocalist Jonathan Vigil when, as he told the crowd he was at one of the lowest points of his life after his younger brother died. Highlighted by a heart-wrenching guitar solo, the song visibly touched an emotional chord in the crowd and brought the energy back down to neutral before the main event.
Headliner The Devil Wears Prada took the stage just after 9:30 p.m., with lights down and smoke filling the stage. The crowd began chanting “Prada,” as the first chords of “Gloom” reverberated through the room. Once the band emerged amid the smoke and green flashing lights, the energy of the room erupted. Of the sixteen songs they performed, including the encore, seven were from their new album.
Despite the songs being relatively new, their loyal following was basically back-up vocals to every song. The Devil Wears Prada had a balanced combination metal and melody, with soul-searching screams from Mike Hranica and haunting notes from clean vocalist Jeremy DePoyster. Lead guitarist Chris Rubey was showcased mid-set, playing mesmerizing riffs, hypnotizing the frantic moshing and head banging crowd into an eerie state of calmness.
Left breathless from his over the top singing, Hranica took time in between songs to engage the crowd. A lighter mood encompassed the room briefly as Hranica claimed Pittsburgh as his hometown, causing the crowd to break out in a “Let’s go Flyers” chant. Being a Christian band, Hranica openly addressed the crowd with faith in mind, asking that God’s good love and grace be with them, before playing their last song. The band went back to one of their older albums and the entire crowd instantaneously erupted into a mosh pit.
As always, the last song is not actually the last song at a concert, and The Devil Wears Prada launched into an encore of two songs from their previous album, Dead Throne, especially for those, as Hranica noted, who had braved the snow. After the encore, the band members threw various performance memorabilia to the eagerly awaiting hands of fans. For a first-timer and loyal followers alike, The Devil Wears Prada made the Saturday night, snow-filled trek to the Troc worth every slippery step and displayed the depth of metalcore beyond simply screaming.
The Devil Wears Prada encore (photo credit, Melissa Komar)
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