LIVE : TEAR OUT THE HEART – January 28, 2014, Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot

Venue: The Crofoot

City: Pontiac, MI

Date: January 28, 2014

Review by: Mike Hubbard

As a music fan, I get excited when I find new bands I like.  It is particularly cool when I can see a band live before their big breakout.  I was first introduced the Tear Out The Heart last year when I was asked to review their debut full length, Violence.  I was impressed with what I heard.  Last night I had the opportunity to see them live, and walked away with the feeling that these guys are on the brink of a major breakout.

This was the opening night of The Ride or Die Tour.  TOTH is a part of the tour, supporting co-headliners Palisades and Famous Last Words, along with opening acts One Last Look and So Many Ways.  TOTH’s set consisted of six songs from Violence.  They opened with Undead Anthem.  The venue where they played is intimate, and we were able to stand right in front of the stage.  The intensity of front man Tyler Konersman filled the room right from the start.  Immediately we knew this was going to be special.

After a slight change to the sound feed to the monitors, the band ripped into Dead By Dawn, which is featured in the band’s latest music video.  Bassist Isaac Etter’s clean vocals were featured here, and he showed that he’s got the chops in a live setting to provide to perfect contrast to Konersman’s growls and screams.

The next two numbers, Feed Me a Stray Cat and Coffin Eyes, kept the show rolling.  The chorus to Coffin Eyes got many in the audience singing along.  Next up was the song Darker Tides.  The band closed the set on a high note with Infamous Last Words.  Everything that defines TOTH came together, the defiance of Konersman, the clarity in Etter’s voice, the synchronicity of the guitarists Josh Spohr and Mathieu Murphy, and the driving force of Matt Epstein on the drums.  This wasn’t just a young band up on the stage playing a bunch of songs, these guys played a polished set, had great stage presence, and showed they are ready for more than being an opening act playing small venues.

The set seemed to fly by so quickly, leaving me wanting more.  And more is what I expect to see out of Tear Out The Heart.  They are playing the Van’s Warped Tour this summer, which will give them the exposure they so richly deserve.  Keep an eye out for Tear Out The Heart.  I expect we will be seeing great things from them.

Set list: Undead Anthem – Dead By Dawn – Feed Me A Stray Cat – Coffin Eyes – Darker Tides – Infamous Last Words

http://www.victoryrecords.com/tearouttheheart

https://www.facebook.com/tearouttheheart

Category: Live Reviews