Underoath
WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA
04.01.17

Opening up for Bring Me The Horizon, Underoath joined the American Nightmare Tour with a 45-minute set in front of a packed WaMu Theater in Seattle, Washington.

The show started with a fast and heavy song, “Everyone Looks So Good From Here,” and they did not let off the gas for a second. Lead singer, Spencer Chamberlain, moved constantly back and forth across the front of the stage, his long hair coming down the front of his face. The stage was lit with a heavy backlight and frequent strobes going off made the movement across the stage look like a stop-motion video. Chamberlain threw his mic in the air, spun around the stage, and whipped his long hair around, his performance elevating each song.

Equally as active as Chamberlain was lead guitarist, Tim McTauge. He played with an aggression that matched their metal and hardcore songs like “In Regards To Myself,” throwing his guitar off his body in dramatic fashion. Each member from Aaron Gillespie on drums to Chris Dudley on keyboard added to the intensity of the show in their own way.

The show continued with Underoath playing many songs from their golden era including “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White,” “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door,” and “There Could Be Nothing After This.” With a heavy set of older songs, they put in a few from more recent albums including “Illuminator” and “Emergency Broadcast: The End Is Near.”

Near the end of the set, Chamberlain asked the crowd how many were seeing Underoath for the first time. Many fans raised their hands and Chamberlain responded by saying “Looks like our work in Seattle is not over yet,” announcing Underoath would be back on tour next year and that the end of their rebirth is not over anytime soon. The set ended with two of their most popular songs, “Reinventing Your Exit” and “Writing on the Walls.” It was a brilliant way to end the set, one amazing song after another.

It’s always a dark day when a group who transformed and pushed the boundaries of a genre disband. Other groups tried to fill the gaps but few could match what Underoath did for the post-hardcore scene. With their rebirth in 2015, continued touring in 2017, and hope for 2018, the days keep getting brighter with Underoath back on stage and on the music scene.

Review and photos by Logan Westom

Underoath