—Review and photos by CL intern Valerie Quintana
The 2010 ejection of Chiodos lead singer Craig Owens was a permanent one as fans of the post-hardcore outfit have come to realize. The main questions of the evening seemed to be, Can newbie vocalist Brandon Bolmer reach the high notes of “Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek,” and will the band even play any “old” songs? There was no telling, but regardless, the crowd — a mix of underage kids accompanied by their parents, faux-hawked dude-bros, random dreadheads and an overabundance of scruffy scenesters in plaid flannels — hummed with an excited buzz at Orpheum this past Wednesday night.
Decoder from St. Petersburg started their set shortly after doors opened, the band members a screamer and singer duo who tore up the stage and headbanged in unison. Screamer commanded the crowd to get up, prompting a couple of burly punkers to engage in a manly embrace as they jumped with the masses.
Tallahassee-based Go Radio brought an upbeat and far less screamo sound to the room, much to the delight of my shot-out eardrums. Emarosa’s melodic yet explosive set followed, triggering the first mosh pit of the night with powerful choruses and a uniquely resonant vocal performance.
Chiodos finally took the stage a little past 10 p.m., opening with the title track off of their latest album, Illuminaudio, exploding with insurmountable enthusiasm as the next song “Caves” shot the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
