LACEY STURM, PALISADES, STITCHED UP HEART, & LETTERS FROM THE FIRE SHOW REVIEW

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Despite the freezing temperatures in the beginning of February, fans lined up outside the to see , , , and . Once the doors opened, everyone rushed inside for warmth, but also for the powerhouse performers that were about to take the stage for the sold-out show.

Up first was , a band from San Francisco, California. The female-fronted group consists of Alexa Kabazie (vocals), Mike Keller and Cameron Stucky (guitar), Clayton Wages (bass), and Brian Sumwalt (drums). From the moment that Letters From The Fire took the stage, I was hooked! The energy the band provided along with Kabazie’s siren-like vocals made for an unforgettable experience. Kabazie commands the attention of everyone in the room and dominates the stage. There is never a dull moment while watching Letters From The Fire preform. Each and every member of the band had some of the best stage presence I have ever seen. The song that stood out most from Letters From The Fire’s set was “At War”. This song was performed with such raw emotion that it was hard not to be affected by its powerful message. Letters From The Fire is a must see live!

The next band to play was . Another female-fronted band from California that showcases Alecia “Mixi” Demner (vocals), Merritt Goodwin (lead guitar), Randy Mathias (bass), James Decker (drums), and Nick Bedrosian (rhythm guitar). Like Letters from the Fire, Stitched Up Heart is a high-energy band that is nonstop. With a mix of hard rock and theatrics, it was hard not to fall in love with this band. “Finally Free” was the first song that the band performed. If I could describe this song in one word, it would be hypnotic. The backing vocals are hauntingly beautiful, but are nothing in comparison to Demner’s lead vocals. Like Kabazie, Demner has a powerful voice that holds a mysterious edge to it. My personal favorite from their set was “Monster”. This song, in my opinion, highlights Demner’s versatile voice best. She can go from that deep growl to those heavenly high notes with the snap of a finger. Watching Stitched Up Heart is hypnotic. They draw you in from the very first note played and leave you begging for more by the time they leave the stage.

Following was . The only male-fronted band of the night, this group did not disappoint. Hailing from New Jersey, the band consists of Louis Miceli (vocals), Xavier Adames (lead guitar), Matthew Marshall (rhythm guitar), Graves (turntable, keyboard), Brandon Elgar (bass), and Aaron Rosa (drums). From the very beginning, Palisades came out strong. Their set consisted of mostly songs from their newest and self-titled album which was released at the end of January. One of the things that makes this band unique is that they pull influences from different genres. Palisades had found the perfect mix between post hard-core and electronic. They not only added variety to the show, but they held the attention of the audience for the entire set.

The last performance of the night was none other than . From the second Strum took the stage, the audience went crazy. Sturm was backed by husband and guitar player, Josh Sturm, Tom Gascon (drums), and Ben Hull (bass). Captivated by the ex-Flyleaf singer, fans couldn’t refrain from rocking out with Sturm as she dominated the stage. The setlist not only contained songs off Sturm’s latest album Life Screams, but also some fan favorites from Flyleaf as well. Starting off her set with “Impossible”, Strum shares her powerful message mixed with her equally powerful music. Sturm was a powerhouse of vocals and energy as she continued with her set.

“Heavy Prey” is a song that really stood out for me. Though, it wasn’t so much the music as it was the message behind the song. I had heard the song before, but the meaning was not what I was expecting it to be. One of the things that I look forward to when I go to a concert is listening to what artists have to say about their music. The stories they share about their life and their musical journey. I can honestly say that I was touched after listening to Sturm speak about her life and her experiences.

The song that I was looking forward to seeing performed live was “All Around Me”. This has been my favorite song from Flyleaf ever since it was first released. Watching Sturm perform this song was like a dream come true. As Sturm spun around on the stage, there was not a single person who was not singing along. The set then continued, only to end on a cover of “Forever” by Kari Jobe. Ending just as strong as she began, Sturm found the perfect way to finish off an incredible show.

Overall, this concert is a hard one to beat. All of the bands came out and finished strong, giving their audience high energy and all around powerful music. If you have a chance to see any of these bands live, you should! I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

What could be better than going to concerts and writing about incredible rock music? For Lauren Hampton, this is a dream come true. Lauren is the first person to graduate through Rock Documented's internship program and has been writing for Rock Documented since May 2016. Lauren is not only a writer, but also enjoys playing percussion instruments and singing.

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