Underoath
March 27, 2016
The Novo- Los Angeles, CA
It was definitely expected that when Underoath announced their plans for reuniting back in 2015, after a 2 year breakup, fans would be all over any opportunity to see them live. Any doubts to that were put to rest when Underoath decided at the spur of the moment to turn their off day from tour, into a show in Los Angeles. Because of the frenzy and buzz for tickets, the so called ‘secret show’ which was set to be at the Fonda Theater, wound up being moved to The Novo where the capacity was over 1,000 more. With less than a week heads up of the show announcement, Underoath fans really showed their dedication and love for this band by wanting so many tickets, the show had to change venues. With that, Underoath was under a lot of pressure to deliver.
Underoath made their way on stage fairly early for a headliner, at 8:45 and they performed arguably their two most popular albums, in their entirety. Kicking off the night was Young and Aspiring from their 2004 release They’re Only Chasing Safety. It was truly a sight to see and attempting to explain the amount of energy the band came out on stage with and maintained throughout the almost 2 hour show would do it no justice, but we have to try. Lead guitarist Timothy McTague was one of the most lively and powerful performers of the night. He was never standing in one place for more than several seconds, and you could see how much love he has for performing, as he was drenched in sweat by the third song. I can confidentially say that 
Christopher Dudley on the keyboards and synthesizers is the most aggressive yet dynamic keyboard players. It’s amazing how he was able to perform while head banging and throwing his fist in the air. Aaron Gillespie on drums and handling the clean vocal duties pounded away like there is no tomorrow. His hard hitting style just added to the performance as a whole. Grant Brandell on bass and James Smith on rhythm guitar probably moved around the least but still kept the crowd entertained with their movements. Of course, lead singer Spencer Chamberlain was a character to keep your eyes on. He was like the energizer bunny, with nonstop movements. He would run, headbang, jump and reach into the crowd all while belting out the lyrics.
Throughout the show, Chamberlain would talk to the crowd and thank them for coming out. In the middle of the set, he really took the time to talk with the crowd and say that he truly believes that Underoath fans are the best in the world. He mentioned that a lot of bands say that about their fans, but that he truly believes it. He continued by saying it was because of the fans on social media all the time, that got the band talking about coming back together. “They say that time heals all wounds, but you guys healed us,” he said as the entire venue lit up with glee. “It’s because of you guys that I get to be up here with 4 of my best friends in the world.” And really, it was true; The crowd was so diverse, age wise with some of the fans being from when the band first started in 1999, while others were more recent, but all of them came together to prove that they are some of the best fans a band could ask for.
As the end of They’re Only Chasing Safety came to an end with Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape, the band exited the stage as screen lit up with different scenes, providing a small intermission before they came back to perform Define The Great Line, their 5th studio album from 2006. Fans sang each and every song verbatim with Chamberlain and crowd surfers were ceaseless throughout the entire show. As the set neared it’s end, Chamberlain decided to get up close and personal with fans and went into the crowd during Writing on Walls. The set ended with To Whom It May Concern and Underoath once again thanked the crowd, threw out drum sticks and picks to the crowd and waved goodbye. Fans chanted for one more song, but to no avail. Nonetheless, this was definitely a show to remember.
After coming off of a breakup that left many fans heartbroken, Underoath are back and hopefully here to stay. After the Los Angeles show, it is no doubt that their fans are still here and are supporting them more than ever and we cannot wait to see what the band has in store. If Underoath is coming to your town, be sure to buy your ticket soon as they will sell out!
Review by: Nicole Lemberg
