Underground Arts was the perfect venue for this show, very appropriately named as it is literally underground and hosts a variety of bands that stretch beyond mainstream culture. The place is strewn with a variety of colorful string lights and a full bar taking up the whole left wall of the basement. Underground Arts has no photo pit, giving fans the opportunity to be as close to the band as possible. Instead, there is a large open section next to the stage which allows for capturing shots that seem to be from the band’s perspective. Needless to say, I was giddy to be there to document the energy of such an amazing performance.
The few minutes between opening band Vanna’s set and From Autumn to Ashes barely seemed like a wait considering the fans in the crowd (myself included) had been waiting many years for the band’s reunion. Even Vanna vocalist Davey Muise credited From Autumn to Ashes for inspiring his desire to make music and perform live. Several conversations discussing which songs they were most excited to hear could be overheard throughout the room. When they took the stage, it was not hard to see why the group has earned itself such dedicated followers.
From Autumn To Ashes delivered a balanced and powerful set of 17 songs touching on each album of their career. The bulk of the setlist came from their 2003 album titled The Fiction We Live. They kicked off their performance with “The After Dinner Payback” sending the crowd into an immediate eruption of excitement as hands and bodies flew into the air. Vocalist Francis Mark graciously shared the mic with a crowd-surfing fan for an entire verse of the opening track while the entire crowd echoed the lyrics. The band made the best use of the limited space they had on stage by running back and forth and leaning into the crowd to scream along with them. It didn’t feel like there was much a division between the performers and the audience. Fans continuously surfed their way onto the stage and dove back into the sea of outstretched arms to make their way back to the pit. This spirit did not dwindle throughout the entire show, other than for “No Trivia,” a slower track which served as a perfect break in the set to give the crowd (and Mark’s voice) a chance to recharge. The energy came right back as soon as the opening riff of “Sugar Wolf” began. The band closed their set with “Reflections” from their 2001 debut album with Mark allowing the crowd to hold him in the air as he screamed the last lines.
I think I can safely speak for the entire audience in saying that we hope From Autumn To Ashes has no intention of disappearing again anytime soon!
