The night was cold, there had been a small cold front hitting Arizona. The light wind cut through your clothing, sending a cool chill through your body. Although it was cold it did not stop anyone from waiting in line to enter The Marquee Theater in Tempe.
There were two lines. The first was shorter, it ran parallel to the box office; this line was for those who purchased early entry. The second line was much longer and ran down the street! Everyone was excited, and kept looking up to make sure they weren’t the last ones in so they could purchase merchandise or get as close to the stage as possible since tonight’s show was sold out! Once everyone flooded in the merchandise line wrapped and swerved from the entry all the way through the room where the stage was located. Everyone wanted to purchase their coveted souvenirs to remember the night. The room started to fill up as everyone gathered for the show. The house lights finally went off and the first band took to the stage. The blue lights shining down on Currents as they began to play.
Currents formed in 2011 in Fairfield, Connecticut. The line up is made up by Brian Wilkes-singer, Ryan Castaldi-guitar, Chris Wiseman-guitar, Christian Pulgarin-backing vocals/bass and Matt Young-drums. In 2013 the band independently released their first EP Victimized and then a little while later they released their second EP Life//Lost. In 2017 Currents was signed with independent record label SharpTone Records. The band then released their debut album The Place I Feel Safest. Their newest album, The Death We Seek, is set to come out in May 5,2023. The crowd screamed with excitement as the band opened up with “Monsters” off their 2020 album The Way It Ends. Their energy was on point from the start. They were able to draw the crowd in, even if some of them were not there to see them. Everyone could be seen bobbing their heads along and taking in everything the band was giving them. In between songs the audience cheered. As you watched and scanned the audience you could see some of them singing along. The band moved around on stage, using the room to their advantage. They finally closed out their set and the audience cheered.
It was time for the second band to come on and it was Memphis May Fire. The banded formed in 2006 in Denton, Texas. The line up is formed by Kellen McGregir-guitar, Marty Mullins-vocals, Cory Elder-bass and Jake Garland-drums. Since their formation the band has released two EP’s and six albums. In 2007, Josh Grabelle from Trustkill Records (later known as Bullet Tooth Records), was captivated by Memphis May Fire. In September of 2007, the band was officially signed by Trustkill Record. Then in 2011 Memphis May Fire was signed by Rise Records.
Memphis May Fire opened up with their song “Blood & Water”. The crowd’s screaming got louder as they got more into the show. The band moved and jumped around while Mullins stood on top of the small platforms they had on the stage. They played a few more songs and then Mullins began to address the crowd. Mullins said “we’re all family tonight! Welcome to the family of Memphis May Fire!” He pointed to the crowd jumped off the platform and then continued “This is ‘Bleed Me Dry’”. Memphis May Fire really got the crowed riled up! This band really knows how to command the stage and make themselves known.
After Memphis May Fire finished their set, there was some down time as the stage crew began to take down the equipment and put the next bands up. The house DJ began to play “Bicycle” by Queen. The crowd quietly sang along and one of the security guards found his moment to shine. He jumped onto the barrier of the pit and began to direct the audience. He would point to the left and they sang louder then to the right side and they began to sing. He brought the audience together as they waited for the next and final band to hit the stage.
The house lights finally dimmed and it was time for Parkway Drive to take over! Parkway drive is from Byron Bay, New South Whales, Australia. They formed in 2003, their current lineup has remained the same since 2006. Their line up consist of Winston McCall-vocals, Jeff Ling-guitar, Luke “Pig” Kiloatrick-guitar, Ben “Gaz” Gordon-drums and Jia “Pie” O’Connor-bass.The band has released seven studio albums, one EP, a split album/book called Ten Years of Parkway Drive and two DVD’s. Four of their albums have made it to the top 10 of the Australian ARIA Charts. Their album Ire hit number one in October of 2015 and then their album Reverence hit it in May of 2018.They opened up their set with “Glitch” of their 2022 album Darker Still. The band came out with a force. The audience was taken aback by the energy the band was putting out. As they finished their second song, McCall began to talk to the audience. He was blown away by the audience’s energy, their singing along and the excitement they threw out towards the band. The band continued to play and the audience joined along. They sang and screamed along with Parkway Drive but then the audience kicked it up a notch. They began to crowd surf. It wasn’t just one person but they came in waves of five. The band jumped, ran and moved all over the stage. They even jumped off the small platforms that were set up. Parkway Drive’s set was an excellent way to kick start the new year of concerts to come.
Parkway Drive
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Memphis May Fire
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