LIVE: WE CAME AS ROMANS – March 12, 2019

Venue: The Cowan

City: Nashville, TN

Date: March 20, 2019

Review and Photographs by: Rachel Craig (https://www.rachelcraigphotos.net/)

We Came As Romans made a stop in Nashville on the second day of their tour. This comes just six months after the death of the band’s co-vocalist Kyle Pavone, with Dave Stephens now taking over all lead vocals for the band. Coming out of this tragedy has given We Came As Romans a new live experience that honors Kyle’s memory while still being the same band that fans have always known. This date did not include Crown The Empire or Shvpes like the majority of this tour, but Erra did kick off the night with plenty of energy. Erra’s latest album “Neon” has become a favorite for metalcore fans, and their live performance did not disappoint. Frontman JT Cavey and vocalist/guitarist Jesse Cash sounded perfect, while bringing a ton of energy to influence the crowd to create a mosh pit. Cavey even joked about always wanting to shout “What the fuck is up, Topgolf?” (which the venue is attached to) and danced a lot on stage. Their setlist included songs like “Monolith,” “Signal Fire,” “Skyline,” “Rebirth” and “Breach.”

As the stage changed over for We Came As Romans, crew members set up an area displaying Kyle Pavone’s name and the band soon kicked off their set with the haunting song “Vultures With Clipped Wings.” Frontman Dave Stephens took over all the lead vocals easily. Their setlist included lots of new material, including “Wasted Age,” “Lost In The Moment,” “Encoder,” “Learning To Survive” and “Foreign Fire.” Their older songs included “To Plant A Seed,” “Broken Statues,” and “Hope.” After a brief walk offstage, the band returned to do an encore performance of perhaps their most recognized song today, “Cold Like War.” I was surprised that the venue was not as packed as it could have been, but it was nice to see most of the people in the room were longtime fans. It was also early in the tour, and this date did not feature two of the bands that are performing on the rest of this run. However, this was a great show full of metalcore, moshing, and hope. Kyle Pavone’s memory is being honored in a tasteful way by We Came As Romans, with Stephens saying that their goal is to help each other and the fans navigate their grief by celebrating Pavone’s life. There was also a sign at the merch table encouraging fans to donate to the Kyle Pavone Foundation, which helps musicians during a time of need. As Stephens said during the show, Pavone loved We Came As Romans “so much that his spirit is alive in these words. His spirit is alive in this music.”

Setlist: Vultures With Clipped Wings – Wasted Age – Tracing Back Roots – Lost in the Moment – Fade Away – Ghosts – To Plant A Seed – Broken Statues – Encoder – Hope – Foreign Fire – Learning to Survive – Cold Like War

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries