Underoath rounded out the first leg of They’re Only Chasing Safety 20th year anniversary Tour at San Diego’s infamous venue SOMA on October 27, 2024. Alongside them were English rock band Static Dress, joining them all the way from West Yorkshire, fiercely representing the new-wave of post hardcore that blended seamlessly in the roster. The evening was a true love letter to early 2000’s screamo lovers of San Diego, who showed up to sell out the venue.
Anticipation won this evening as the show started a little early for the fans, truly tailoring the show to the thirty something elder emo population that packed the venue. Static Dress stormed the stage and wasted no time waking up the room to prepare for the insane night ahead, kicking off with their hits Push Rope and Courtney, Just Relax. Lead Vocalist Olli Appleyard gave the audience every ounce of his being as he delivered raw, vivid screams and profound clean vocal runs. He invited the crowd to join at every opportunity and even went onto the front barricade to immerse in the audience a few times. The crowd was all in from beginning to end, delivering the singalongs and mosh pits… and a crowd surfer or two. It was the best way to kick off the celebration of one of the most iconic post-hardcore albums of its time, which due up next.
As the stage was set for UnderOATH, the crowd was buzzing with the unique visuals that was forming in front of them: A 5ft high rise that housed drummer/melodic singer Aaron Gillespie’s drum kit and the keyboardist setup for Chris Dudley (who was also celebrating his birthday with us). What separated them was the most comfortable-looking couch along with many nostalgic amber-glowing shade lamps and other small pieces of furniture that could have been taken from my grandmother’s actual house. I wonder if the stage was a nod to the performance they were about to deliver: a throwback in time. Soon the house music turned to soothing synthy background noise that I can only describe as video game menu music. We were in the queue for an epic set ahead.
The room went silent and Aaron Gillespie took the stage and sat comfortably on the couch, mic in hand. At his adjacent post, Chris Dudley begins to deliver a soft intro to Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape, leading to Gillespie giving a mind-melting stripped down version of the song. Following shortly after is lead guitarist Tim McTague and Bassist Grant Bandell take their positions on stage, building to the epic crescendo of Spencer Chamberlain taking center stage and exploding into TOCS opener Young and Aspiring. The performance was nothing short of spectacular. The guys were clearly having the best time celebrating the album and enjoying every ounce of audience engagement.
Crowdsurfers, multiple mosh pits at any time, and intense singalongs were the main themes of the evening, matching the electricity pouring off the stage from the band. Before the huge song “Reinventing Your Exit”, Spencer takes a break to bring out a special guest to join them on the couch. First, he grabs a father daughter duo out of the crowd. (New wave post hardcore girl and she knew every word)!
Then, another special guest (actually two); Cove Reber from the popular bands Saosin and Dead American came on stage with the cutest baby strapped to him adorning giant headphones. Spencer introduces them “Cove and Cove!”, (queue the awh)! The four of them sat comfortably on the couch, while the band kicked off into the smash hit. The highlight of it all was Spencer holding little Cove’s hand during the song serenading him. The room completely melted. After a Blue Note interlude and a band break, the band rips through the remainder of the album. TOCS was given to us in full as promised, but the highlight of the evening came after during their encore.
In addition to a fun birthday song dedicated to the most energetic, hardcore keyboardist of his time, Chris Dudley; the band also crushed other fan favorites In Regards To Myself and Breathing In A New Mentality. Before playing their classic closer Writing on the Walls, Chamberlain took a moment to say they appreciated their fan-voted encore set, and that the following song had not been played by the band in over 20 years! “Don’t prove me wrong that you know this song San Diego!” he screams as a familiar, unique synth line begins. The room went absolutely insane. Something I personally thought I would never see: A full performance of the old era UnderOATH breakout song While The Sun Sleeps. Spencer’s gritty articulation was every bit of what I felt the song always needed from its original recorded version. San Diego was left in total awe, almost in disbelief of what had just unfolded before us. It was truly a night we’ll never forget, and I wish I could live it again!
GALLERY: Underoath and Static Dress at SOMA in San Diego (October 27, 2024)
