Alabama-based progressive metalcore band, Erra, brought the heat to a very hot, sold-out crowd at the Orpheum’s new location on Sunday.

Joining Erra for its first Florida show in three years, was Invent, Animate, as well as Alpha Wolf, and Orlando-based Lost Trees.

For its first headlining run, Erra named the tour “Pull from the Ghost,” a standalone single released nearly two weeks ago. Erra prepared a 13-song setlist, largely from its most recent self-titled album, released in March 2021.
[content-3] Staging was less crowded than usual, following the exit of guitarist Sean Price who left the band after a decade—but on the heels of the punishing new single, the crowd was buzzing . Erra took the stage just before 9:30 p.m., opening with the powerful and fast-paced “Gungrave.”

Guitarist Jesse Cash then led the band into “Scorpion Hymn,” one of the heavier tracks played Sunday. Frontman JT Cavey was eager to interact with the crowd, handing out water bottles and occasionally throwing the mic in their direction just before a heavy beat.

“Sol Absentia” was next, intertwining Cash’s powerful, high-pitch vocals with Cavey’s midtone scream. Cavey grooved to the beat of drummer Alex Ballew, who looked extremely zen during the song’s headbang-inducing breakdown.

Erra took a brief detour from the new album to go all the way back to 2016, with the song “Drift.” Usually kicked off by the smooth guitar taps of Price, now handled by Clint Tustin, who previously played with Galactic Empire and Babymetal.

The band then brought back the tracklist from the recent album with “Shadow Autonomous”, “Eye of God’ and “Divisionary.”

Halfway through the show, the band pulled out its latest single, “Pull from the Ghost” filled with intricate drop-tuned riffs and complex mixes of electronic and ambient sounds. Cash’s vocals haunted the nonstop crowd, which seemed to have spent time learning each word to the band’s latest single.

“Nigh to Silence” was next, kicked off by a sweet serenade from Cash. One of the band’s more mellow tunes, the heavy guitar amped up the crowd about a minute in, queuing the mosh pit to get moving.

The remainder of the tour continues through Aug. 20 in Nashville.
[content-2] The show was only the second for Orpheum’s new location in North Tampa, which staff lovingly referred to as a work in progress. In January, Orpheum owner Jerry Dufrain announced that he would not be renewing the venue’s lease after more than 20 years in Ybor City.

In May, the Orpheum hosted its last concert at the Seventh Avenue space before Dufrain began renovations on the old Southern Ground Brick Bar & Party Deck in North Tampa, and while the space is indeed a work in progress, Dufrain and company have clearly spent time planning and executing the venue’s new layout, creating thoughtful merch space on the left side of the stage, and making use of the seemingly larger bar area.