Beartooth – Gig Review 26th January @ Palladium Times Square, New York, NY
Beartooth
Palladium, Times Square, New York, NY
January 26th, 2024
Supports: The Plot In You, Invent Animate and Sleep Theory
Amongst the bedazzling lights and the bustling energy of New York City’s Times Square, Beartooth delivered a sonic onslaught that resonated with the inhabitants of the concrete jungle, where Caleb Shomo and co’s latest studio LP, The Surface, not only echoed through the venue but etched its mark into the rich history of this world-renowned location in front of a sold-out crowd. Leaving their own imprint on the Big Apple was none other than the melodically enchanting The Plot In You, the metalcore mastery of Texan-based quartet Invent Animate and the anthemic up-and-comers in Sleep Theory.
Palpable excitement drew thousands of attendees, organising into an unruly and disarranged queue that stretched through the heart of Times Square, which saw security face challenges in managing the substantial demands of a sold-out crowd. However, after several delays, I successfully gained entry to the subterranean venue just in time to observe alternative rock act Sleep Theory perform their final two tracks. As I walked upon the already sticky venue floor amongst the jostling crowd, it was abundantly evident that this Memphis-based four-piece had well and truly ignited enthusiasm amongst the punters throughout the already crowded music venue. As the group played their final song, ‘Another Way‘, a myriad of crowd surfers seized their final opportunity to express appreciation for the opening act, while sing-alongs made it known that this band is welcome back in the world’s financial capital at any time.
Next to take to the underground stage was Invent Animate. Having left a lasting impression on Australian audiences last year, it was now time for them to captivate North America with their Texan charm and metalcore prowess. I personally highly regard this act as one of the most exciting bands in modern metalcore and have done so for several years now – but even my expectations were exceeded throughout this performance. The enthralling stage persona of vocalist Marcus Vik had me in awe, requiring me to metaphorically collect my dropped jaw from the floor as he impeccably executed his powerful, clean vocals and intense unclean vocals, staying true to the studio recordings by emulating its quality perfectly.
As the metalcore virtuosos showcased songs from their recently praised album, Heavener, we were also treated to a rendition of recently released single ‘Sleepless Deathbed‘, which sounded better in a live setting than I ever could have envisioned in terms of auditory experience. Visually, the standard of this show was equally impressive. The four members presented side by side proudly in front of the stage’s vibrant visualiser, with “Invent Animate” elegantly displayed across it while they were seen simultaneously headbanging and performing other stage manoeuvres, which were integrated with their rehearsed choreography. Naturally, I found my attention being pulled in the direction of lead guitarist Keaton Goldwire, who executes his technically focused riffs and grooves with such proficiency that he could seemingly play them blindfolded. As the group wrapped up their set with the final song ‘Immolation of Night‘, I was left with a blend of bittersweet emotions – satisfied for having witnessed this performance yet somewhat wistful that it concluded so quickly. The short, six-track set felt insufficient, given that I would gladly watch this class act perform for hours on end. However, when it comes to Invent Animate, I’ll gladly accept whatever comes my way.
During the intermission between sets, I wondered how the following bands would measure up to the high standard set by Invent Animate; however, as the venue hit its patron capacity, The Plot In You seized the opportunity to demonstrate their world-class capabilities. In a regrettable sequence of events, during The Plot In You‘s set, I found myself subjected to both physical and extreme verbal abuse by a handful of displeased New York locals within the audience; their frustration appeared to stem from where in the venue I was standing, which was in front of them. This is an experience I’ve never personally encountered during live music events, and it caught me entirely off guard. Following the incident, I took a moment to step outside and compose myself, which regrettably resulted in me missing a portion of The Plot In You‘s performance. Nevertheless, I was determined to not let this encounter cast a shadow over my appreciation of live music, so I went back into the venue to catch the final moments of this set.
As I returned, I was welcomed back by new single, ‘Closure‘. During this moment, the comforting vocals of Landon Tewers worked to ease my anxiety, grounding me in the present and allowing me to enjoy the show again wholeheartedly. The energy radiating from the stage was impossible to ignore as Tewers strolled along from left to right, then back again as he held eye contact with the crowd as if to say, ‘Is that all you’ve got, New York?’. The concluding songs, ‘Disposable Fix‘ and ‘Feel Nothing,’ offered a perfect opportunity for everyone in attendance to join in for singalongs before the headline act was set to take the stage. Upon The Plot In You‘s departure from the stage, once more, I found myself contemplating how the formidable Beartooth would surpass these headline-worthy performances. However, as a first-time ‘Tooth show attendee that night, I had yet to discover the extent of Shomo and co’s capabilities as world-class performers. I was on the edge of learning firsthand just how remarkable Beartooth can be on stage.
As I waited for the headliners to take the stage, someone within the crowd injured themselves and required urgent medical attention. This was the cause for a paramedic to kick and push innocent bystanders out of his way, injuring others in the process. This ironic occurrence and earlier incidents that unfolded that night prompted me to question my safety at a New York gig – a concern that, fortunately, I had never encountered in all my previous concert experiences. This reflection brought a deep sense of empathy towards fellow live music enthusiasts, particularly women, who have unfortunately found themselves pondering this question on multiple occasions.
Before too much time had passed, I felt my frustrations melt away as I redirected my focus towards the centre of the mosh area. There, I spotted a fan holding a T-shirt above his head with the phrase ‘Keep Crabcore Alive’ written across the front for all in the venue to see. This, of course, pays tribute to Shomo’s time as the keyboardist for Attack Attack!, a role he took on at the young age of fifteen. This occurred moments before Shomo graced the stage, wearing only a pair of blue denim jeans. Shomo took a moment to stand wholly silent and still, gazing into the crowd as chants of “Beartooth, Beartooth, Beartooth…” grew louder. Following that, each of the act’s instrumentalists joined Shomo on stage, and together, the band broke out into a performance of ‘Sunshine!‘ from the group’s most recent album, The Surface. The result was a mosh pit filled with energetic bodies expressing themselves freely, accompanied by ear-splitting singalongs that drowned out the chaotic sounds of Times Square streets above our heads.
A promise that any band would find challenging to uphold – “This is going to be the craziest night of your life,” was shouted by frontman Shomo in the direction of the thousands present, and it was apparent to all that he sincerely meant every word. “I sing, you sing! This is ‘The Past Is Dead’“, at which point Shomo donned a jacket and resumed his performance. Smoke machines made their debut for the night throughout the breakdown of third track ‘Bad Listener‘, after which Shomo gave a formal introduction by announcing “For those who are unaware, we are a band called Beartooth, and we are here to share with you the gospel of rock and roll, and heavy metal”, to which the crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers, signalling their approval. Shomo was in no sense shy to talk, letting us know that “If you’re here, it’s probably because of our new album and all of that positivity that we’ve been radiating lately, but those of you who have been with us for a while would know that this hasn’t always been the case. Just know that whatever you are going through will pass, and things will get better… this song is called ‘Disease‘” before performing the crowd favourite.
Roaring singalongs continued throughout the anthemic ‘Might Love Myself.’ At the same time, moshers enthusiastically awaited the chance to unleash their energy during ‘The Last Riff’. Once the conclusion of that particular song had come about, Shomo’s voice could be heard. However, his presence remained a mystery – he couldn’t be spotted anywhere near the stage. It wasn’t until I observed him standing alone with an acoustic guitar on a platform in the center of the crowd that he came into view. At this point, the vocalist took at least five minutes to share his messages of positivity, vulnerability and struggle with the crowd of over 2,000 while strumming his guitar and talking about his lifelong struggles with feelings of inadequacy and failure. When he thought about his future, he imagined that he would either “die young before the age of thirty-five or be a washed-up wannabe, and everything would have been a complete waste of time.” Although now, through the power of healing, he has found himself on a stage in the middle of Times Square, performing in front of a sold-out crowd on a sold-out tour, supporting his number one record, with the promise of another one on the way. Before moving on to the next song, Shomo made one last promise, which was “I am telling you now that we will fucking headline Madison Square Garden one day, and it’s not far away”, before delivering an acoustic rendition of The Killers‘ ‘Mr. Brightside,’ the entire city of New York seemed to unite in the collective experience of singing along. This touching moment resonated deeply with me, and as I glanced at the faces surrounding me, it was evident that many individuals in the audience were also profoundly moved. The emotions didn’t stop there; before returning to the stage, Shomo dedicated the next song to his wife, stating, “This song is for her, and it forever will be” before showcasing ‘Look The Other Way‘, which was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful moments in live music that I have ever been lucky enough to witness. As Shomo performed the acoustic track, I took a few seconds to take in my surroundings and noticed that there was not a single dry eye in the room, including mine.
To get a better understanding of the meaning behind this song, make sure to read our feature interview with Caleb in Wall of Sound Magazine Issue #002 – where the frontman went deep on it’s heartbreaking meaning and hopeful purpose.
As Caleb walked through the crowd and back to the stage, it was clear that we were all hungry for one more opportunity to sing along to Shomo’s lyrics until our hearts were content, which is where ‘The Lines‘, ‘Devastation‘ and ‘Doubt Me‘ proved to be excellent platforms for us all to reach satisfaction. Before performing the final song ‘I Was Alive‘, Shomo dedicated the track to his deceased grandfather, which was yet another heartwarming moment to behold. As Shomo thanked the crowd before walking off stage, he assured the crowd that he doesn’t say this often; however, this was his “favourite New York show that I have ever played, and I’ve been performing in New York for sixteen years.” Once the five members of Beartooth walked off-stage, it was recognised that not one single New Yorker was ready to say goodbye to the Ohio-based quintet. Chants of “Beartooth, Beartooth, Beartooth…” quickly transitioned into “One more song, One more song, One more song…” and in response to this, the band reemerged, with Shomo wearing a long blue jacket, with its hood covering his face warning the crowd that “This is your last chance. When you walk out those doors tonight, if you can still speak, you didn’t give me enough”, which seemed to add fuel to the fiery mosh pit, which is when the group performed final tracks ‘Riptide‘ and ‘In Between’, to which the crowd took their chance to sing along for the final time of the evening. As the notes of these last songs pulsated through the heart of the Big Apple, it was clear that Beartooth had delivered a gig for the ages, leaving their fans enthralled as we were already dreaming of that next Beartooth tour announcement as we departed for the evening.
The New York alternative music scene seemingly has an awfully long way to go before it can be classed as an all-inclusive, safe space for everyone. However, all issues with the local scene aside, the innovative expression in the form of art that Beartooth produces both on and off the stage is utterly captivating. If you follow Shomo’s journey of self-expression for long enough, you’re bound to be convinced that ‘Tooth are on their way to world domination. Is Caleb Shomo the voice of a generation? Quite possibly, but that’s for you to decide.
Setlist
Sunshine!
The Past Is Dead
Bad Listener
The Better Me
Disease
Hated
Might Love Myself
The Last Riff
Mr. Brightside – acoustic (The Killers cover)
Look The Other Way
The Lines
Devastation
Doubt Me
I Was Alive
Encore
Riptide
In Between
Gig review by Adam Rice
Beartooth – North American Tour 2024
with The Plot in you, Invent Animate and Sleep Theory
