AFI Brings The Bodies Tour to The Union Event Center
November 28, 2022
Over the past few years one of the best things in the music scene has been the resurgence of the Emo, Hardcore, and punk rock genres. It’s a fitting sound for the world at large now and its music helps people out through tough times which I’m sure we can all use right now. I have been lucky enough to see quite a few of the shows from these genres as they come through Salt Lake City, with the latest being AFI bringing their sold out “Bodies Tour” to the Union Event Center.
The opening act for this leg of the tour is Drab Majesty, a band I wasn’t familiar with before the show. They put on a great set and did a good job of getting the crowd amped up for what was to come. Looking around the crowd and how excited they were from the moment the door opened it seemed they were all ready for the night already. The sound of Drab Majesty wasn’t bad, and I found myself looking up their songs, but their stage presence and performance was more subdued that I would have hoped for.
After the openers were done and the set change began the crowd started cheering in earnest getting louder and louder leading up to the moment AFI would take the stage. Once the lights came up the room erupted into cheers as the band came out followed by an energetic Davey Hook who came out onto the stage leading the crowd with a chant of “Through Our Bleeding We are One,” before starting the show with “Strength Through Wounding.”
Havok’s stage presence was captivating this night as he showed why he is one of the most loved front men in the business. His vocal performance was nothing short of perfection and his electrifying aura pulled everyone in and reminded us all why we love AFI so much. This band resonates with their fans more than most I have seen. Maybe it’s because they are extremely talented musicians and put out great songs but more likely it’s because people have always found a home in their songs and their lyrics. People who never felt like they fit in and were alone found their place the moment they found this band and joined their ranks of loyal fans. Listening to their albums or seeing their shows is a roller coaster of emotions as their songs take you on a trip through a full emotional spectrum. Looking around the room most everyone was feeling this the same as I was which is what made the experience so jarring when Havok had to stop and ask two guys to separate and move away from each other. Ultimately, they didn’t listen, and security had to kick one of the men out from the show but after that the show went on and the energy returned to the same level as before.
Multiple times throughout the night Havok would get down on the barricades singing and interacting with the fans and at one point walked out onto the crowd with the fans holding him up as he sang from the crowd. This interaction and the understanding of fans is what puts this band in such a special place. Their setlist this night was a great mix of past fan favorites along with newer material showcasing what they have been doing and their new sound. It was a great mix for everyone at the show no matter what time you discovered the band.
AFI will wrap up the Bodies Tour December 3rd in Orlando at The House of Blues.
