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Kiya Gaskin (TPF)
Apr 7, 20174 min read

A Tour Laid to Rest in Tucson


No one was resting when The Rest in Space tour blew through town on March 10. The Rest in Space tour came to a close at Club XS in Tucson, AZ. The original bill of the tour was Falling in Reverse, Pierce the Veil, and Crown the Empire. Three stops before the Tucson show, Falling in Reverse announced that they would be discontinuing their run on the tour without an explanation. With Falling in Reverse dropping off the tour, fans were unsure what to expect, but Cons, Crown the Empire, and Pierce the Veil more than made up for their absence.

 

Native Arizonans Cons did not play like they were the opening band.

Cons, formerly known as Coma Prevail, are a Melodic Hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. Cons is: vocalist Josh Ferrera, lead guitarist Jeremy Ray Talley, guitarist Matt Barrios, bassist Steven Hathaway, and drummer Stephen Majalca.

The band’s demos can be found on Soundcloud.

An opener’s job is to get the crowd warmed up for the headliners, but Cons very well could have been the headliners. Their set was short; however, in a short amount of time, Cons was able to prove why they could be a driving force in the music industry. Melodic Hardcore had never sounded so refined. Lead singer Josh Ferrera performed with the charisma of the best front men in the scene. Behind him, there were the high quality sounds coming from the rest of the band. Cons plays extremely cohesively, which translates nicely on stage. Cons highlighted their strengths, and the crowd was eating it up. After their set was over, many people in attendance to the show came up to members of Cons and asked for business cards and places to find their music. The group made a lasting impression on everyone there. Every band starts out as a local band, but Cons is more than ready to transition into the national market.

Cons - Photo by Kiya Gaskin

Follow the Band on social media!

Cons

Twitter: @ComaPrevail

 

Crown the Empire made for a fantastic segue between the opening act and the headliner.

Crown the Empire is a Rock band from Dallas, Texas. Andy Leo is the lead vocalist, Brandon Hoover plays guitar, Hayden Tree is the bassist, and Brent Taddie is the drummer. Crown the Empire has been together since their inception in 2010.

They are signed to Rise Records. Crown the Empire’s new album, RETROGRADE, is available now.

With the Cons having a heavier sound and Pierce the Veil playing into more softer tones, Crown the Empire was perfect combination of both. They had smooth melodies and sharp unclean vocals, which could have been a disaster if not executed properly. Crown the Empire avoided catastrophe by having the correct balance of hard and soft that was blended together effortlessly. The band played under red lights for most of the set, which set a mellowed out, but emotional mood. There was hardly any special effects or pyrotechnics; Crown the Empire did not need any. The raw emotion that they were capturing and portraying was enough to keep the crowd entertained. The rasp that lead singer Andy Leo has in his voice and his intonation gave their music an edge that kept them from sounding like every other band in the scene. Although they were an opening act, their set should have been longer. With Falling in Reverse leaving the tour and Crown the Empire being quite talented, they could have played more songs. The crowd would have loved it. Crown the Empire kept the crowd entertained and got them more than riled up for the headliner.

Setlist: Zero, Memories of a Broken Heart, The Fallout, Voices, Hologram, Machines

Crown the Empire - Photo by Kiya Gaskin

YouTube | Rise Records Channel “SK-68” - Crown the Empire (Audio Video)

Follow the Band on social media!

Crown the Empire

Facebook: @Crowntheempire

Instagram: @crowntheempire

 

Four-piece showstopper Pierce the Veil set the crowd on fire with their miniature movie inspired by their latest album ‘Misadventures’.

The Post-Hardcore Rock group formed in 2006. Pierce the Veil consists of lead vocalist

and guitarist Vic Fuentes, drummer Mike Fuentes, bassist Jaime Preciado, and lead guitarist Tony Perry.

Pierce the Veil is currently signed to Fearless Records.

Because the band has been touring this same set-up and album for a year now, they had to switch up a few things to keep it fresh. They amped up the pyro and kept a constant flow of energy. Pierce the Veil started throwing it back to their classic songs like “Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides’, as well as “Hold On Till May”. They also went outside of their norm and played an acoustic version of their song ‘“Stay Away From My Friends”. It was nice to see some variety in their performance. During the set, they pulled one lucky fan onstage to sing with them. Her face lit up as she sang along with Vic. The crowd really began to lose it when they played their song “Floral and Fading”, which they just released a music video for. The music video is inspired by how moshing started at concerts, and the crowd was emulating the video during the song. And it is not a Pierce the Veil show if they do not end it with their fan favorite song “King For a Day”. That song combined with their crazy pyrotechnics sent the crowd into a frenzy. As confetti rained down from the ceiling, energy surged through the fans.

Setlist: Dive In, Caraphernelia, Texas is Forever, The Divine Zero, Bulletproof Love, Floral & Fading, Stay Away From My Friends, Bulls in the Bronx, Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides, Hold On Till May, Circles, King For a Day

Pierce The Veil - Photo by Kiya Gaskin

YouTube | Floral & Fading – Pierce The Veil (Official Music Video)

Follow the Band on social media!

Pierce the Veil

Facebook: @PierceTheVeil

Instagram: @piercetheveil

 

The Rest in Space tour could not have ended in a better way. In the absence of Falling in Reverse, everyone prevailed making it a memorable night. The bands seemed to overcompensating for losing a headliner, and it pushed each of them over the edge. Energy was high and everyone reached their fullest potential. The thrill and excitement that was evoked from the crowd was palpable. Each band executed their sets in the best possible way, and no fan left the venue disappointed.

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