Devoting
Destiny
THEY'RE ONLY CHASING SAFETY 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
On the first of October, Underoath’s 20th-anniversary tour of their album They’re Only Chasing Safety rolled through Detroit at The Fillmore, supported by UK metal visionaries Static Dress and the Fort Wayne, Indiana electronic minds in Metavari.
METAVARI
Metavari was recently announced as the opener for a couple of shows on this tour, including Detroit, as Underoath added local support from each area they are playing on this run, which I thought was cool to see. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Metavari, but they brought a unique mix of electronic and rock elements, still leaning heavily on the electronic side. I wasn’t familiar with any of their music before the show but my favorite song they played was ‘Ballerina, Part 1.’ It has a melody that comes in similar to the theme of the show ‘Stranger Things’ which I love, and it has a great build to it that translated well live. Metavari was an interesting addition to this lineup, but I enjoyed their set.
Static Dress
Static Dress played next. I love this band, and it was cool seeing them play both at the intimate 300-cap Sanctuary Detroit and now at the 3,000-cap Fillmore Detroit. Something I love about Static Dress’s performances is the energy they bring. Vocalist Olli Appleyard is always moving around. There were a couple of times I saw drummer Sam Ogden stand up from behind his kit while playing. The intensity and passion are truly tangible and it translates well both in small venues and larger venues alike. Static Dress played their newest song ‘Crying’ alongside fan, and personal favorites ‘Safeword’, ‘Sweet’, and ‘Clean’ among others. One of my favorite moments of their set was Jess Nyx from World of Pleasure taking the stage to do her guest spot for ‘Courtney, just relax.’ I hope Static Dress comes through Detroit again next year, I will definitely be there if possible.
Underoath
Underoath closed out the night with a 90-minute set including the entirety of They’re Only Chasing Safety and a handful of other fan favorites from their earlier releases, as well as their newest single ‘Teeth’. I thought the way Underoath started their set was cool. Their drummer/primary clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie took the stage solo to sing ‘Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape’, the last song on the album. Keyboardist Aaron Dudley then joined him to add in some layers and the song built into the intro of the true first song on the album ‘Young & Aspiring’. It was beautiful hearing the crowd sing along, especially on songs like ‘A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black & White’ and my favorite crowd moment, hearing the entire venue from up on the balcony sing the bridge of ‘It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door’ acapella. Speaking of crowd participation, at one point Underoath brought a few fans on stage to sit on the couch they had for a song, which was fun to see.
Similar to Static Dress, Underoath brought lots of energy on stage and it looked like they were having a great time, which was impressive to me, seeing as all of these guys have been in the band since the early 00s (not including the hiatus). Seeing Underoath was a very cool moment for me, as I remember watching their music videos when I was as young as 7 or 8, and seeing the guys still having a great time doing what they love. ‘Writing on the Walls’ was a perfect way to end the set and it was great seeing so many happy faces.
I hope Underoath comes back with a Define The Great Line 20th anniversary tour in a couple years because I would love to see them play their older stuff again another time.