At The Palladium, The Amity Affliction delivered a heavy set along with co-headliners August Burns Red, and special guests Boundaries and Dreamwake.
The first band of the evening was Dreamwake. They delivered a short but striking set that felt less like an opening slot and more like a glimpse into the future of modern metalcore.
From the moment the lights dropped, the atmosphere inside the Palladium leaned into its signature intensity—tight floor, low stage, and a crowd that’s never afraid to surge forward. Known for hosting everything from underground acts to giants of the genre, the room’s raw, all-ages energy gave Dreamwake the perfect canvas.
Dreamwake’s setlist pulled heavily from their Virtual Reality-era material, including tracks like “Neon,” “Luna,” and “Night Rider,” alongside standouts like “Heatwave” and “Paradise.” The sequencing worked in their favor: creating a push-and-pull dynamic that kept the crowd engaged even during their relatively brief runtime.
In a venue known for breaking and shaping heavy bands, Dreamwake’s performance felt like a statement. They may not have headlined the night, but they carved out a distinct identity—equal parts cyberpunk dreamscape and metalcore punch. If this set was any indication, they’re not just another opener passing through Worcester—they’re a band on the verge of something much bigger.
The next band of the evening was Boundaries. They are American metalcore band from Hartford, Connecticut. The band lineup currently consists of vocalist Matthew McDougal, guitarists Cory Emond and Cody DelVecchio, drummer/clean vocalist Tim Sullivan and bassist/vocalist Nathan Calcagno.
On March 17, 2026, Boundaries teased a new release in their Instagram page, with the caption “It’s all around us now…”, following with the drop of the name of the new song, the first one after “Death is Little More” – “Skies cast amber black”, and the release date – “this Friday”. On March 20, 2026, an American record label Sumerian Records announced Boundaries as their new signing, in their Instagram post. In the same post, Sumerian announced the release of the song and the music video.
Opening with the kind of suffocating intensity they’ve built their name on, Boundaries wasted no time. From the second they walked onstage, it was a shared sense that things were about to get violent in the best way possible.
Frontman Matt McDougal commanded the stage with a mix of fury and control, pacing the edge of the stage and leaning into the crowd like he was trying to pull something out of it. His vocals—raw, and emotionally charged—cut clean through the venue’s notoriously loud mix.
Early in the set, the pit fractured into multiple pockets—two-step bursts on one side, full-on hardcore dancing on the other. By the midpoint, it had collapsed into a single, heaving mass. Stage dives came in waves. Crowd surfers moved constantly. Security barely kept up. This wasn’t passive head-nodding; it was participation.
The next band of the evening was the first Co-Headliner August Burns Red. They are an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band’s lineup of guitarists John Benjamin “JB” Brubaker and Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin Davidson has remained consistent since 2006. The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Metal Performance for the song “Identity” from its 2015 release Found in Far Away Places, and again in 2018 for “Invisible Enemy” from Phantom Anthem (2017). The band has released ten studio albums to date; their latest, Death Below, was released in 2023.
From the moment they stepped onstage, there was no buildup—just immediate impact. Opening riffs cut through the room with mechanical tightness, locking the band and crowd into the same pulse within seconds. The Palladium’s notoriously dense floor turned into a shifting mass almost instantly, a reminder that this is a band whose music isn’t just heard—it’s physically felt.
Drawing from across their catalog, the set blended newer material with staples like “Composure” and “White Washed,” songs that continue to hit as hard live as they did when they first dropped. At past Worcester shows, they’ve also leaned into deeper cuts and full-album performances—especially during anniversary tours—showing a willingness to balance nostalgia with evolution. That same balance carried through here: familiar moments sparked the biggest reactions, but the transitions and pacing kept the set from feeling predictable.
Frontman Jake Luhrs was the bridge between the band’s technical chaos and the crowd’s emotional response. His vocals were as punishing as ever, but it was his presence—leaning into the barricade, locking eyes with fans, calling for movement—that elevated the set. There’s a sincerity to how he commands a room that never feels forced.
What separates August Burns Red from so many of their peers is how they translate technicality into something visceral. Odd time signatures and complex arrangements didn’t create distance—they fueled the energy. Every tempo shift felt like a cue for the crowd to move differently, whether that meant circle pits, two-stepping, or full-on pileups at the front.
The Palladium itself amplified everything. The low stage blurred the line between performer and audience, and by the midpoint of the set, stage dives were constant. Security scrambled, fans screamed every word back, and the room felt less like a concert and more like a shared release.
By the time the final notes rang out, August Burns Red hadn’t reinvented themselves—they’d reaffirmed exactly why they don’t need to. At The Palladium, they proved that consistency, when executed at this level, is its own kind of evolution.
The final band of the evening was The Amity Affliction. They are an Australian post-hardcore band originally from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. It consists of Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar), Jonathan Reeves (bass, vocals) and Joe Longobardi (drums). The band has released eight studio albums, with their ninth album to be released in 2026. They are known for their highly personal songs, often dealing with depression, anxiety, death, substance abuse, and suicide, many lyrics stemming from vocalist Joel Birch’s past struggles.
On 29 January 2025, Stringer announced he would not be touring with the band at all for the foreseeable future. On 14 February 2025, the band announced that Stringer had been fired from the band, citing “certain behaviors that have been directed at ourselves and those close to us,” and they would be continuing as a three-piece. After Stringer’s departure, none of the original members remain in the band, with Joel Birch being the longest-standing current member. The following week after the announcement of the split, it was revealed that Birch and Stringer were in a legal battle over a trademark for the name “Amity”.
On 29 May 2025, the band announced that Reeves had joined the band full-time. On the same day, they released a new stand-alone single, “All That I Remember”.
The Amity Affliction delivered a set that felt less like a performance and more like a collective release.
Sharing the bill on a stacked night alongside heavy hitters, their slot could have easily been overshadowed—but instead, it became one of the most emotionally charged moments of the entire show. From the second they opened, the shift in atmosphere was immediate. Where other bands leaned into chaos, Amity leaned into connection.
Their setlist, consistent with recent tours, blended newer material with defining tracks like “Pittsburgh,” “Don’t Lean on Me,” and “Open Letter,” songs that have remained staples of their live shows for years. Each one landed with a kind of weight that only comes from a crowd that doesn’t just know the words—but needs them.
Frontman Joel Birch was the centerpiece of that connection. His delivery was raw and unfiltered, cutting through the venue with a mix of urgency and vulnerability. Between songs, there was a sense of sincerity that never felt scripted—just brief, honest moments that reinforced what the band has always stood for: confronting darkness without hiding from it.
What set the performance apart was how the crowd responded. This wasn’t just movement—it was participation on a different level. Arms wrapped around strangers. Entire sections screaming lyrics back word-for-word. Phones held high not just to record, but to capture something personal. Their shows have long been known for this kind of crowd involvement, often featuring sing-alongs and constant crowd surfing, and Worcester was no exception.
The Palladium itself amplified everything. Its tight, floor-focused layout meant there was no escaping the energy—whether you were in the pit or pressed against the back wall, you felt it. And during the biggest choruses, the entire venue seemed to move as one.
The Amity Affliction
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August Burns Red
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Boundaries
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