From the very first guitar riff in “Defy,” the title track from Of Mice & Men’s fifth studio album, the excitement is overflowing. The noise is deafening and a swirl of bodies in the pit begins to spin. Guitarist Phil Manansala leads the four piece onto stage while the foremost frontman Aaron Pauley nonchalantly tails them. 30 seconds later, the vocalist stomps his left foot on the centered riser with his bass hanging from his neck and lets out the opening scream of the 14-song set list.
Rolling into “Warzone” and “Unbreakable,” two additional tracks off the band’s recently released Defy, Of Mice & Men quickly reaffirms the notion that they are here to stay in the wake of longtime unclean vocalist Austin Carlile’s departure. On stage, there’s very little raucousness and showiness. Guitarist Alan Ashby is stationed on the left, Manansala on the right and drummer Valentino Arteaga is seated, centered in the back behind his expansive drum set.
Pauley’s left foot remains pinned to the riser for the majority of the set, a metaphor for Of Mice & Men’s consistent and steadfast nature throughout the set. They go about their business, focusing on the music, performing a slew of tracks dating back to the band’s first album, Of Mice & Men. From “YDG” to the newest cover of Pink Floyd’s “Money,” Of Mice & Men showoff what the new lineup is all about.
Meanwhile, the opposite is true for the crowd. Unlike the band, the audience bounces from wall to wall and a swirling vortex of bodies remains present throughout the majority of the set. The crowd hoists fans overhead as they ride the never-ending waves of hands to the barricade in hopes of getting a high-five from Pauley at the front. It’s a continuous cycle, however don’t be mistaken, this is what fans showed up for. The demand for Of Mice & Men’s showcase in Charlotte was evident even after the show sold out - OM&M fans lined up outside The Underground four hours prior to doors opening.
Along with Cane Hill, Fire From The Gods, and MSCW, Blessthefall opened the night with eight fan favorites, including brand new single “Melodramatic.”Regardless of what Blessthefall play or for how long, their show remains dynamic and energized throughout. There’s hardly enough room for Bokan’s amusing monkey business on stage as he looks for anything to grab onto, including fans in the front row.
If there was any question how Blessthefall’s fresh new sound would fit between staples of the past, the band proved there’s no need to worry. The audience responded with equal excitement to the lead single from the quintet’s upcoming album Hard Feelings the same way they cheered when frontman Beau Bokan signaled the start of “Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted.”
Remaining dates for “The Defy Tour”:
2/23 — Orlando, FL — Beacham
2/24 — Destin, FL — Club L.A.
2/25 — New Orleans, LA — House of Blues
2/27 — Houston, TX — White Oak
2/28 — Dallas, TX — Canton Hall
3/1 — Albuquerque, NM — Sunshine
3/4 — Vegas, NV — Vinyl @ Hard Rock Live
3/5 — Flagstaff, AZ — Orpheum
3/6 — Phoenix, AZ — Nile Theatre
3/7 — San Diego, CA — SOMA
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