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Portland’s Hawthorne Theater was a sea of screaming teenagers Tuesday night when The Amity Affliction hit the stage promoting their album “Let the Ocean Take Me”. The post hardcore/metal core band that hails from Gympie, Australia consists of Joel Birch (vocals), Ahren Stringer (vocals and bass), Ryan Burt (drums), Dan Brown (guitar), and Troy Brady (guitar) who was absent from the stage last night.
The show was opened by Exotype, Favorite Weapon, Obey The Brave, and For The Fallen Dreams. These heavy hitters primed the crowed for the main event, which turned out to be a knock out punch. This being The Amity Affliction’s first headlining tour, they wanted to come out swinging. They delivered on a scale that no one imagined was possible. Joel Birch with his guttural screams was brought to his knees by the sheer force and power he was unleashing on the crowd. Ahren Stringer brought the clean vocals to accompany Birch with a sound that resulted in utter perfection. The band showed complete professionalism as a few glitches in the sound system complicated a couple songs. In no way did the sound problems take away from a performance that can be described as nothing less than EPIC!
Check out more photos of the show HERE
Amity has always been very connected to their fans. This band shows the respect and dedication they have for their fans on a level that cannot be matched. Birch encouraged crowd surfers to make it to the stage and helped each person safely on and off the stage. Birch allowed fans to pose with him for selfies, sing into his mic, and even smiled and laughed when he was knocked to the ground by a female fan he was helping on stage. The personality of this band is unparalleled. Many of the band’s hard hitting hits like “Don’t Lean on Me”, “Pittsburgh”, “Open Letter”, “Chasing Ghosts” and “FML” all have very dark lyrics that deal with suicide.
Birch has never been afraid to let people know of his battles with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. He thanked the crowd last night and states “Music has saved my life”. As huge advocates for mental health services, the band mentions the local suicide prevention hotlines for a place that people can turn to for help. Birch receives thousands of letters from fans asking for advice and begging for help. He wrote “Don’t Lean on Me” in response to the toll that taking on the grieving of his fans has on him. This band clearly different from those that talk about having a connection to their fans. This band is connected in a way that you can feel in their performance. They give it their all on stage, and leave it out there for you to take home. The Amity Affliction is playing next in Spokane, then up to Vancouver B.C. for one show before coming back to the U.S. This is definite DO NOT miss tour.
Check out more photos of the show HERE
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