Chiodos, All's Well That Ends Well Tour Sells Out The Ritz In Raleigh, NC

When I think back to my younger days, a few bands have always stayed with me throughout the years. Chiodos and Hawthorne Heights have been ingrained into that special part of my brain where music always holds a special place. You can only begin to imagine the excitement at knowing I was going to get to scratch that spot in my brain when both of these bands decided to do a tour together! Luckily for me, Raleigh, NC, was the town where I was able to witness the spectacular night of music from the All’s Well That Ends Well tour!

The Callous Daoboys

Four bands, four different sets of music to be heard, and to kick off the night was The Callous Daoboys. This band is multifaceted and full of in-your-face energy. Emotion and aggression blended to give you an experience you can’t ever be prepared for! The variety is not only in their time signatures of the music but in the musical instruments as well, with the violin added to their sound. Who really expects a violin to be out at a hardcore show? But with The Callous Daoboys, it’s as natural as breathing! Seeing their energy unfold on stage has every member of the audience drawn in, and their focus never leaves the stage. It was a set that perfectly laid out the expectations of what was to follow them! 

Emmure

Keeping the adrenaline pumping, Emmure crashed onto the stage. Heavy riffs, abrasive vocals, and a hyperactive presence made this set something to behold. Vocalist Frankie Palmeri was a blur on stage, diving from one side of the stage to the other within seconds with a love in his eyes that lets you know he’s thoroughly enjoying performing. He wasn’t the only one either; every member of the band showcased just how much love they have for the music they create. That intense emotion was easily transferred over to the crowd, and the roaring screams echoed back to the band. The entire time Emmure was on stage, it was relentless, full of crushing breakdowns and infectious energy that left the crowd in an euphoric chaos as they waited for the next band.

Hawthorne Heights

A band that has been a personal favorite of mine for well over 15 years is Hawthorne Heights, and the moment my teenage heart was excited for was finally upon us. The band made their way to the stage as the fans were hyped and ready to receive all the emo angst they knew was coming. The band had a way of making the mid-size venue feel like we were all there for an intimate experience. Between the songs, vocalist JT Woodruff spoke to the crowd as if they were an old friend he hadn’t seen in a few years and chatted about life and told silly stories. Those heartfelt moments were paired with mosh pits and crowd surfers, and the combination of such drastic things embodies just how superb Hawthorne Heights truly is. The skill it takes to bring together melodic vocals, intense rhythms, and crazy riffs paired with emotional lyrics that make you not only wanna cry your eyes out but sling yourself into a mosh pit as well. It is an event you’ll see for yourself when you get the tickets to a show to watch Hawthorne Heights live.

Chiodos

The attention of fans was squarely on the stage as they waited in the dark for Chiodos to emerge. The band took their spots on stage, and away we went. Front man Craig Owens' vocals always stand out when he can so gracefully switch from intense screaming to powerful melodies with the same amount of passion for both. The band and crowd were constantly feeding off each other’s energy through the entire set. You could tell the band was just as excited to be playing to the sold-out crowd as the crowd was to be seeing Chiodos live! It’s almost like seeing your best friend for the first time in years, and the excitement is just overwhelming. The interactions with the fans made the performance feel a little extra special, from Craig getting everyone to squat down and then jump, to holding out his mic for the crowd to sing the words, to the crowd surfers making their way through the sea of people. The set had plenty for every fan to jam out to, with the old classics being front and center. It was a trip down memory lane, being able to hear those old songs live again. It was a set that was loud, fun, and it showed that Chiodos knows what they are doing and they do it well.