The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die at Rock and Roll Hotel

by Matt Kelchner

Last weekend we traveled down to the nation’s capital to catch a stacked show full of up and coming bands within the punk world. Co-headlining the bill was emo collective The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die along with Baltimore’s own Pianos Become The Teeth. Joining them as they travel back up from the inaugural Wrecking Ball Festival were Turnover and Take One Car. The tour paid a visit to the Rock and Roll Hotel on H Street in Washington, DC and we were there to take in every minute of it.

Throughout the entire night, each band laid their influences out in plain sight for the crowd to take in. Things were kicked off with Take One Car, who brought back memories of early Thursday and Thrice. The group played a handful of lengthy songs off their recently released Everyone You Know Is Here Right Now. Selections like “I Never Knew  The Sound” showcased Take One Car’s spin on post-hardcore that won over more than just a few fans Sunday night.

With the heavier, low end occupied with Take One Car, the next band to play, Turnover, took things in a more light and airy direction. Reminiscent of fellow Southern coastal Virginia natives Mae mixed with bits of early Minus the Bear, Turnover played a number of tracks off their new album, Peripheral Vision. It was clear that fans were very familiar with the record as songs like “Hello Euphoria” and “Dizzy on the Comedown” received a strong group of background vocals from those in the crowd.

Baltimore may be a number of exits further north on I-95 but Sunday night in Washington, DC still felt like a homecoming show for Pianos Become The Teeth. We have managed to catch the band a few times since they put out their phenomenal third album, Keep You and each time they continue to impress. After opening with their post-hardcore masterpiece “Hiding”, they dove into a set that leaned heavy on new material. Older songs such as “I’ll Get By” and “I’ll Be Damned” were sprinkled in amongst the likes of “Lesions” and “Ripple Water Shine”. Subtle changes were added to beginnings and endings of songs and made for a smooth flow from one song to another. With their typical set closer played all the way at the beginning, Pianos Become The Teeth chose one of the strongest singles from their latest album, “Repine”, to finish with.

It is always a sight to be seen to watch The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die begin to set up. The group features an ever-evolving cast that sees the number of members constantly changing and growing. This time around they were at eight. Crammed onto the stage at Rock and Roll Hotel, The World Is… ripped through a set that featured a few new songs mixed with a healthy dose of older favorites from Whenever, If Ever.

“Chest and Shirt” and “From The Crow’s Nest On Fire Street” represented the new tunes as each song appears on a recently released 7” single released this  year. Notably missing was “January 10th, 2014”, their latest song and first single from their debut release on Epitaph Records, Harmlessness. Songs such as “Fight Boat” and “Picture of a Tree That Doesn’t Look Okay” were received with roars of energy from the crowd as they sang along to every word. “Thanks”, a quick-hitting thank you note to fans found off their spoken word collaboration Between Bodies made it’s way into the setlist as well. The beginning of the end came with the final song found on Whenever, If Ever, the epicly and mighty “Getting Sodas”. As the build up came crashing down upon the fans below, they erupted into an unexpected small mosh pit. As soon as the final notes rang out, all eight members finished off the night with the perfect harmonies found in “Low Light Assembly”.

For a night filled with so much energy and passion, The World Is… left fans with a somber and quiet farewell.