Photos by Colin Williams and Erica Vining
Considering it was early July, Cedar Rapids offered a much more pleasant climate than home for rock music fans wrapping around the building at Alliant Energy Powerhouse, as Eastern Iowa was about ten degrees cooler than St. Louis and without our familiar and oppressive humidity. The venue is reminiscent of Chaifetz Arena in both interior appearance and capacity, give or take 1,600 seats. Cedar Rapids is known for its many manufacturing plants and its sidewalks were lined this night with many of the laborers that were eager to unwind and spend their hard-earned money on merchandise and concessions on the “Popular Monstour.”
Opening the night was the Austin-based four-piece Catch Your Breath. Formed in 2017, the band is pioneering a new era of heavy metal/rock music with frontman Josh Mowery weaving between clean mellifluous vocals and emptying his lungs with guttural screams. Catch Your Breath is currently riding a tidal wave of momentum as they are consistently releasing hit rock music track by track that circulates through playlists on streaming services as well as local and satellite radio. Similar to modern bands such as Bad Omens and I Prevail, they tune their instruments to impossibly low octaves to create the deepest abyssal metal riffs and choruses that push professional stadium speakers to their limits. We are very familiar with the band as they are close friends, and we take every chance to catch them live when we can. It is never a disappointment.
Taking the stage one at a time the band dove into their set with their recently released single “Savages,”a hard-hitting song about human primal instincts when confronted with adversity and strife. After moving through two of the band’s earlier and heavier songs “Fade”and “Ricochet,”Catch Your Breath treated the Iowa audience to a yet-to-be-released single, “21 Gun Salute,” described by guitarist Teddy Herrera as “an emotional hard-hitting rock song that uses modern imagery, sound, and production.” He continues, “The track is a metaphor for dealing with a relationship so terrible you deserve your own 21-gun salute for being with them.” Despite a short seven-song set, Catch Your Breath covered all their biggest songs and finished with their biggest hits to date, “Shame on Me” and “Dial Tone.” The audience easily recognized this song and contentedly finished each chorus for the band. Each member of the band could be witnessed at times mingling amongst fans and enjoying the remainder of the show. Aptly named, Catch Your Breath takes rock music fans’ breath away in venues across the country as they continue their ascension in the modern music industry.
An absolute explosion of chaotic energy and distortion occurred on stage as Underøath started their set with the popular track “Let Go.” With over two and a half decades of experience, the Tampa, FL, born band immediately grabbed every ounce of attention from the crowd. Much like other bands with some years under their belt, Underøath has undergone several lineup changes (as well as a 2015-2017 breakup) to become the current five-member group. Critics and fans have witnessed the band over the last twenty-six years wind through genres such as metalcore, post-hardcore, and screamo/emo to name a few. Also featuring a seven-song setlist, Underøath satisfied their fans with some of their most popular songs over the years such as “Breathing in a New Mentality,” “Damn Excuses,” and a cleverly named track (quoting a line from the Lord of the Rings trilogy) “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door.” With the majority of the crowd on their feet matching lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain’s energy, Underøath finished their set with recently debuted single “Lifeline (Drowning)” and “Writing on the Walls,” a screamo hit from their 2006 record Define the Great Line.
Forged in part by the band’s only remaining founding member, frontman Spencer Charnas, Ice Nine Kills fuses macabre theatre and heavy metal in a manner that would make Rob Zombie proud. Think Panic! at the Disco with actual panic and axe murder while the group pays homage to classic horror films such as Cabin Fever, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The band was originally known as Ice Nine, with Charnas reinventing the band throughout its many lineup changes since its inception in 2000 as he continued to build on his passion for gruesome cult classic movies.
The group took the stage wearing sunglasses and suits with bowties and began with “Hip to Be Scared,” a track from their latest album (2021’s The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood) featuring Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach. The song and costume choices were inspired by American Psycho, the cult classic film starring Christian Bale as a wealthy urban businessman and merciless killer in the 1980s. During the first breakdown of the song, Charnas reenacts a famous scene from the film as he dons a clear plastic jacket while punching, and then decapitating, a bandmate/actor among choreographed red stage lights and mist. Ice Nine Kills kept the crowd engaged with quirky theatrics and costume changes, whether it be the iconic yellow rain jacket and red balloon from Stephen King’s It, or the top hat, cloak, and cane referencing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Ice Nine Kills played an impressive eleven-song set and finished with the title track from Welcome to Horrorwood. Charnas climbed out amongst the adoring crowd as he finished the final verse and choruses. Horror films and heavy metal have always had a symbiotic relationship as rock bands are often featured in horror movie soundtracks. Ice Nine Kills’ distinct passion, however, make them “a cut above the rest.”
Anyone that has followed Ronnie Radke on TikTok or social media in the past few years knows one thing about him: you never have any idea what controversial thing he will say or do next. Radke has an unapologetic disposition that has, for better or worse, kept a spotlight shining bright over his music career since the creation of Falling in Reverse. From drug addiction and rehab to felonies and a prison sentence, Radke uses his platform to share his feelings about cancel culture and being vilified. Despite the “haters,” allegations, legal obstacles, and Radke’s desire to rebut or troll on social media, Falling in Reverse is one of the most popular modern rock bands in the world.
Falling in Reverse received nothing but roaring praise as the lights of Alliant Energy Powerhouse dimmed and the band burst onto the stage, beginning their thirteen-song set with “Zombified”—their 2022 single that hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. With lyrics that speak of Radke’s experiences in modern “cancel culture” complimented by a simple but heavy rhythm, this track resonates with rock fans that may feel the world has become soft and easily offended. The band continued on to play tracks from their older albums such as “I’m Not a Vampire,” “Fashionably Late,” and “The Drug in Me is You.” Falling in Reverse also covered “Situations,” a song from Ronnie Radke’s band Escape the Fate, which he founded prior to his incarceration. Radke, true to his reputation for trolling his audience at times, raised his hands and split the crowd into a wall of death to prepare them for “the hardest song in rock history,” just before launching into a cover of “All Star” by Smash Mouth. Falling in Reverse fans witnessed a humbler Ronnie Radke on this tour as he shared the spotlight with each of his current bandmates while they performed their respective solos. Radke continued as the band played “Bad Girls Club,” after which he admitted his disdain for the track stating “that song is just so, so bad… but I play it for you.” Falling in Reverse boasted plenty of digital effects and lighting throughout their songs before dimming the lights once more and playing the recently released single and music video for the bands reimagined version of “Last Resort” by Papa Roach.
After the band returned to the stage, Radke had noticeably changed into his distinctive riot gear from the band’s more recent single “Watch the World Burn” during the intermission. The final three songs—“Watch the World Burn,” “Voices in My Head,” and “Popular Monster”—featured impressive pyrotechnics as well as intense laser/strobe lights. Radke’s public disposition may be questionable, however, it is undeniable that Falling in Reverse is extremely talented and have earned their fame and status in the industry. Radke showcased his ability to sing softer ballads, adeptly rap at seemingly impossible speeds, and scream through intensive choruses. This “Popular Monstour” ends on July 30th in California. All four bands featured left their audience satisfied and definitely acquired new fans along the way. | Colin Williams
The Popular Monstour remaining dates:
Featuring Falling in Reverse w/ Spiritbox + Catch Your Breath 07.26.23 — Nampa, ID — Ford Idaho Center
07.27.23 — Idaho Falls, ID — Mountain America Center
07.29.23 — Sacramento, CA — Heart Health Park
07.30.23 — Redding, CA — Redding Civic Lawn
