Ripping into a new era
Concert Review
Article and Photography: Brieghanna Chase
Taking the night off from the large arena stages, opening for Bad Omens, Beartooth, along with opener President, and Nashville metalcore band Showing Teeth, performed a one-off show at the Rave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Headlining their own show, Beartooth packed the Eagles Ballroom of The Rave venue to the brim. A very intimate and ornate venue was a huge change of pace from the large stages Caleb and his band mates have been performing on, but March 3rd gave fans the chance to get upclose and personal with the singer.
Not her first time opening for Beartooth, Showing Teeth took the stage with bandmates Cole Wise (bassist), Ben Solomon (guitarist), and Justin Marshall (drums), excited to return to the stage as a supporting opener. Though she may be small, she is definitely mighty. This vocalist is a powerhouse of screams from deeper gutturals to brain-tickling shrieks, and everything in between; she lays it all on the line. The set was a surprise of unreleased tracks, “Bad Exchanges”, “Make It Out”, “Hell Hath”, and “Shallow Grave”. Despite being unfamiliar with the tracks, the crowd made sure to keep that hidden, moving along and banging their heads to the beat. Even though she claimed to be under the weather, Showing Teeth showed up for everyone there, fooling us all as she commanded the stage. For songs, like “Labyrinth” and “RIP”, that the audience was familiar with, they made sure to step up and sing loudly, giving the singer a break and returning the energy she was giving to them. The band definitely made an impression, as the merch line was just as long, if not longer than Beartooth's after their set was complete. Make sure you're following along with this band for new releases, as they’re going to be making a regular spot on your playlist.
The lights dimmed, and the energy shifted, buzzing as everyone readied for Beartooth to take the stage. Caleb strode out, dominating the stage with a confidence that could be felt through the entire venue. Opening the show with “Might Love Myself”, it set the tone for this show and perfectly introduced the new era that the band debuted when they released their latest single, “Free”, which also made the setlist tonight. The fourteen-song setlist came in strong and never once fell flat, the crowd eating up every second of the performance. The crowd fell silent as Caleb initiated a call and answer from the crowd, who did not disappoint, screaming their return passionately back to the band. The packed venue shifted and swayed to the music. At the center of the crowd, metal-show tradition kicked in: a mosh pit opened, while fans along the sides surfed overhead. And as a true fan loving artists do, when it seemed that there was an issue in the crowd, Caleb stopped the show, checking in on the crowd and making sure that the issue was addressed, reminding everyone to take care of one another. After ensuring everyone was ready to continue the show, they picked back up without ever skipping a beat. As the lights dimmed and the band left the stage, the volume only increased as the mass of fans chanted “Beartooth! Beartooth!”, not ready to say goodbye to the night yet. Just as you thought the chanting was hopeless, blue lights illuminated the crowd as Caleb ran back out on stage, giving everyone what they wanted: an encore. To truly end the show, the band played their classic “Riptide”. I don't care what others say, but we here at Metal Muse Magazine are huge fans of this new era, and can't wait to see how else Caleb slays in this new confidence he's wearing so perfectly.
