Photos and Review by Bethany Anna Packer
Galleries: Motionless in White, Every Time I Die, Ice Nine Kills
When I heard that Motionless In White’s tour was coming through Providence I jumped on the bandwagon with every metal core kid and town. When I found out that Boston based Ice Nine Kills and my very favorite live band Every Time I Die were on the bill I was overwhelmed with excitement.
The Strand Ballroom was already packed by the time Ice Nine Kills took the stage in their neighboring city. There was an obvious support in the crowd for the Boston, MA band being so close to home. With brutal force Ice Nine Kills unleashed holy hell onto the crowd, as front man Spencer is known to do. The group is a collective energetic beast which delivers a mesh of killer riffs and powerhouse vocals. They, as always delivered a powerful performance with Spencer consistently playing off the crowd. As they wrapped up their set the room was primed for more, and these kids had no idea what was in store next as the stage was set for Every Time I Die.
Every Time I Die always have and always will be my favorite band to see live. They put on a show like no one can. Guitarist Jordan and bassist Steve are always seeming to have a competition to see who can jump the highest and run the most, while front man Keith summons crowd surfers from the depth of the pit to ride towards him in hopes of making it to the stage. Bodies poured into the photo pit (side thank you to the bouncers at the Strand for keeping us photogs safe), mosh pits swirled and the heavy music made hearts skip a beat. All the while throughout the perfect chaos, Keith kept an eye on the crowd and checked in with the front row periodically to make sure everyone was feeling safe. Sweaty and glowing fans who came for Every Time I Die donned permanent grins, as the Motionless fans who hadn’t seen them before were head over heels in love by the end of the set.
Despite Every Time I Die’s loyal following that turned up for the show, the sea of MIW t-shirts and hoodies proved that the headliner drew the majority of the crowd into the venue that night. As the lights went black the audience erupted into cheers and as the curtains rose to reveal that the stage had been transformed into a gothic wonderland. Motionless in White certainly know to put on amazing show that they have completely dialed in. Combined with their insane production and spectacular light show, you can’t take your eyes off the stage. The band is made up of some fantastic characters, including the tall and enchanting front man, Chris Cerulli and the group’s bassist Ghost who’s character of the evening changes with each performance. The group stepped it up in intensity and ferocity throughout the set and the crowd responded beat for beat. The Strand was literally vibrating as the thumping double bass shook everyone to the core.
Motionless in White puts on a show that should not be missed, and the rest of this run’s line-up was deliciously heavy icing on the cake.