It’s been over a year since I’ve been to the infamous Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. They repainted the outside sitting area. Inside was the same small, intimate space filled with eager fans. Unfortunately I didn’t make it in time to see Guerrilla Warfare. Listening to the people around me, I heard they delivered a great performance.
As I stood up front and gauged the crowd, the venue was playing everything from rap to country. Some members of the crowd began dancing and singing along. I knew it was going to be a fun night. The lights dimmed and the intro began, it sounded like a hymnal you would sing in church. Out came the members of the Tennessee based band, Orthodox, clapping and the entire crowd joined in. As soon as the intro faded out, Orthodox laid into their set. Heavy riffs, bass drops, and guttural vocals mesmerized the concert goers. There was plenty of moshing happening behind me. I became an instant fan.
Direct support that night was, For the Fallen Dreams, based out of Lansing, Michigan. I’ve seen them once before when they were on tour with, Of Mice and Men. The move from a heavy metal sound to metalcore brought in a different vibe to the venue. There wasn’t as much moshing as there was crowd surfing. A few fans jumped off of the stage into the crowd. I took a foot to the head, but my camera was ok. That’s all that mattered. “Unstoppable” is the only song that I knew and hearing it live was amazing. Marc Esses, drummer, has so much energy behind his kit, it resonates with everyone watching. Chad Ruhlig, lead vocalist, kept everyone engaged and had fans singing into his mic. At midnight, March 10th, the band released their self-titled album ‘For the Fallen Dreams’. Available to stream on all platforms.
As I waited for the headliner, Gideon, I kept an eye on the crowd behind me. The mosh pit was filling in with more people as the minutes passed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay long up front because the pit was going to get rowdy. Gideon’s intro was a country song that I didn’t recognize. Once it faded out, the Alabama band dove right into their set. Right away the crowd began moshing, jumping off the stage, and screaming along to the lyrics. Watching the crowd react to Daniel McWhorter, vocalist, brought back memories. When you get so lost in the music and lyrics that you forget where you are. After the third song I left the front and wandered the venue, watching every fan’s reaction to their favorite artist. My son said he was jealous that we had the opportunity to see Gideon live. I saw them for the first time and instantly became a fan.
