It’s hard to not have fun at a hardcore show. Loud, screaming guitars, pounding drums, bass riffs you can feel through the floor, and lyrics being hurled towards the crowd like white-hot shards of steel. As you’d imagine, the energy at these shows is amazing, with fans constantly moshing, jumping, and clamoring to get as close to the stage as possible.
At the Houston stop of Underoath’s 2023 Summer tour, things were no different. Security had their work cut out for them to manage the deluge of fans that crowd surfed their way to the stage, and despite the modest crowd size, the energy in the room was electric.
The show kicked off at a surprisingly early 6PM, with Better Lovers, followed shortly by We Came As Romans, though unfortunately your humble writer was unable to catch either of their sets.
Just before 8PM, The Ghost Inside took the stage. Formerly known as A Dying Dream, the five-piece metalcore outfit from LA played through a 14-song set, including tracks from all five of their studio albums.
Singer Jonathan Vigil briefly stopped the show at one point to talk about the band’s 2015 tour bus crash, which left the band hospitalized and resulted in drummer Andrew Tkaczyk losing one of his legs. After a lengthy hiatus, the band returned to the stage in 2019 and has been hard at work, releasing their self-titled fifth album in 2020.
After an hour-long set, the band closed out their show with “Aftermath,” off their most recent album, and made way for Underoath.
Shortly after 9:15, the headlining act burst onto the stage and the madness truly began. Fans were coming over the rail left, right, and center, much to the chagrin of the venue staff. Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain screamed into the mic, stalking the stage with ferocity.
During the band’s third song, Chamberlain jumped down from the stage and climbed the rail, standing at the edge of the crowd looking out across the fans spread around the venue floor.
With a 12-song set, Underoath kept the energy high, playing songs from five different albums. Early in the show, the band informed the crowd that they were in for a surprise later in the set, which came in the form of a guest appearance from Ghostmane, who joined the band for their collaborative track “Cycle.” This performance marked the first time the two acts have shared a stage, and the crowd ate it up.
The band closed out with “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White,” bringing the show to an end just before 11PM. Even non-hardcore fans would’ve appreciated the energy of the show, with both acts leaving it all out on the stage. If you were on the fence about catching a show, here’s your sign: Go. You’ll have a great time.
Underoath wraps up their tour on August 19th in Santa Ana, CA.
I'm a Houston-based concert and automotive photographer. I've been a music fan my whole life, and previously was the director for Coog Radio, the University of Houston's student radio station. I listen to a bit of everything, from blues to rock to EDM, but predominantly metal. Some favorites include Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. When I'm not behind the camera, you can catch me skating, going to car events, and buying too many coffee table books.
