From Ashes to New: The Blackout Tour at The Depot
June 14, 2024
Rising alt/metal group From Ashes to New has been tearing up the scene lately selling out venues across the country on the Blackout Tour Part 2 along with special guests Elijah, Phix, Ekoh and Point North. The tour is in support of their #1 charting album BLACKOUT, which was released in 2023 via better noise music. This week they made a stop in Salt Lake City at The Depot on Tuesday June 11th, adding yet another sold out stop on the tour.
Fans lined up early in the day wanting to get the best spot they could in the venue with doors opening at 5 pm. With the show starting at 6 pm and 5 bands on the lineup we were in for a long night.
Opening the show was Elijah, who was a new act for me, but it seemed that most of the venue knew who he was when he asked. His sound was a perfect compliment for the show and served to get the crowd going.
The next act, Phix has been blowing up on social media lately with his rap/rock skills. It was another genius addition to the tour as his sound was another great compliment and the fans loved seeing him perform. After Phix was his social media collaborator and fellow rapper, EKOH. When he took the stage, he addressed the crowd saying, “I know what you’re thinking, who invited the rapper.” Well judging by the reaction from the fans they were indeed glad that FATN invited him back again for this leg of the tour. As has become EKOH’s custom at the end of his set fans started throwing their sneakers onto the stage for him to sign.
The next band on stage was Point North who got things going back to the rock side of the equation again. This band gives out some heavy nostalgic vibes for Warped Tour for me for some reason. Drummer, Sage Weeber’s solo’s just take me back and when you throw in guitarist Andy Hershey’s riffs and energy it just makes me feel like I’m back at Warped Tour. Their set was nonstop high energy and just a great time. If you haven’t listened to them do yourself a favor and do it.
Next up was the main event of the night. As the stage crew wrapped up the prep work and the Backstreet Boys song “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” finished playing the video panels went live and the band strode out onto the stage. The crowd seemed to come even more alive and when the opening notes from “Armageddon” hit the speakers it was full steam ahead the rest of the night. Crowd surfer after crowd surfer started coming up from the back of the venue keeping security at the barricades busy.
Vocalists Matt Brandyberry and Danny Case flowed back and forth singing, screaming, and rapping, pumping our ears full of their signature alt/metal rapcore sound. The chemistry the band has with each other is apparent but the way they connect with their fans is also great to see. In one such moment Case and Brandyberry picked sides of the venue and having each side see who could cheer the loudest. They had their tour manager reading the decibels to see which side was the louder. Throughout the tour Brandyberry’s side had won the majority with the advantage of going second in the cheering order. Case let his side know this and everyone was determined to let him win. After the results were tabled, Case did get the win which sent up a road from his side and had Brandyberry tell his side he still loved them before returning to the music. After that the band got back to playing music for the fans who screamed along with the lyrics to every song. I had an incredible time at the show along with everyone else I talked to who was at the show.
From Ashes to New wrapped up The Blackout Tour part 2 yesterday in Lincoln, NE. They will now hit the tour circuit playing stops at Rock Fest and Upheaval among others before hitting the road again with their labelmates Nothing More and alongside Set it Off for a run in September. And then from September through November with Set it Off and support from New Years Day and If Not For Me. For info and tickets click here.
