Periphery Brings A Pale White Dot to Philadelphia

On a rare warm fall day in Philadelphia, Periphery’s A Pale White Dot Tour landed at The Fillmore with Ando San, Greyhaven, and Ne Obliviscaris in tow. Fans began lining up outside around 4:30 pm, with doors opening at 5:30. The crowd was relaxed and spanned a wide range of ages, and the staff at The Fillmore were very welcoming.

Ando San

Los Angeles artist Ando San opened the night with his “prog-hop” sound, a mix of progressive guitar work and hip-hop influence. He started the evening with high energy, and the early crowd responded well. Opening is never easy, but Ando San brought energy and passion to the small crowd.

Greyhaven

As the room filled, Kentucky’s Greyhaven took over with their chaotic, genre-hopping heavy music and sharp dynamics. Frontman Brent Mills fully utilized the mini stage risers to effortlessly shift between frenetic, unpredictable pacing during the heavy bits and a more grounded, emotional delivery during the slower, anthemic tracks.

Ne Obliviscaris

Melbourne’s Ne Obliviscaris, whose name is Latin for “Forget Not,” brought their extreme progressive metal to the Fillmore stage. Their dual-vocal approach was the centerpiece. Harsh vocalist James Dorton, who has a larger-than-life stage presence, delivered the screams, while Tim Charles sang the soaring clean vocals and played violin, was an effective contrast against the aggression around him. Tim’s presence as he played violin was felt as he stood on the riser.

Periphery

By the time Periphery took the stage, the energy in the room had been building all night by the supporting acts. Periphery was supporting their eighth album, A Pale White Dot, which was released this year. Their stage presence mixes jaw-dropping technical precision with lighthearted, self-aware fun, and vocalist Spencer Sotelo brought the energy during the opening tracks of Scarlet, Wildfire, and Heaven on High.

Final Thoughts

The biggest surprise of the night was Ne Obliviscaris, whose stunning use of dual clean and harsh vocals alongside live classical violin brought an unexpected, mesmerizing intensity to the stage.