Photo of Zac Mayfield of Dayseeker by Erica Vining
Polyjamory was the name of the game Friday at the Pageant as concertgoers were treated to all flavors of rock: pop, heavy, prog, alternative—you name it, this lineup delivered. Dayseeker returned to St. Louis on the Pale Moonlight Tour, making a stop at The Pageant alongside a stellar opening lineup. Up-and-comers sace6 opened the night with the pop metal duo from the East Coast bringing the energy and a truly dynamic sound. Vocalist Sace (sah-chee) was supported on stage by guitarist/backing vocalist Noah Thomas, and the two together alongside a touring drummer created a chaotic energy that held steady the rest of the night. This wasn’t a set that entertained a lot of crowd surfers or pits, rather one that brought out the euphoria a good pop show can induce while also engaging the crowd there for metal music, an impressive feat.
Post-hardcore band Wind Walkers took the stage next, opening with “Drowning Hymns” off their 2023 album What If I Break? The set list following relied heavily on their most recent EP that dropped late last year, I Don’t Belong Here, with the crowd treated to “Hereditary,” “The End Aesthetic,” and “Silk & Static.”I was not familiar with this band prior to the night, but their sound reminded me of the best of my playlist. Fans of Bad Omens, Holding Absence, Caskets: this is a band to check out for you. In the best way, Wind Walkers plays great radio rock, with live vocals to match their recorded tracks but a spunk on stage that makes you want to join in.
Australian metalcore band Northlane took the stage ahead of Dayseeker, and this is when the energy for the night shifted towards a heavier sound. The feeling among the crowd shifted with Northlane’s set, with surfers and mosh pits joining into the mix. Arguably the heaviest band of the night, Northlane opened with “Carbonized” off their sixth studio album Obsidian. Visually, this was the first band of the night to lean heavily into their light show and strobing, which further elevated the chaos of the set. Vocalist Marcus Bridge introduced their new song “Evian,” which made its live debut on this tour, a confusing but enjoyable blend of electronic club synth with heavy screams and clean vocals sprinkled through the track. The timing and energy of Northlane built beautifully for Dayseeker to take the stage as the night’s headliner.
Dayseeker is such an easy band to listen to. This was my seventh time seeing them live and each time I find myself hypnotized by vocalist Rory Rodriguez’s smooth vocals and chill energy on stage. Arguably one of the best live vocalists in modern rock music, Rodriguez has a range to rival some of the genre’s all-time greats, effortlessly shifting from haunting melodies to explosive screams without a single falter in control. (I’ll never forget the disaster that was Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022, but Rodriguez did not let the issues of the festival stop him from taking the stage with his acoustic guitar and shushing the crowd so he could do a fully acoustic set without any backtracks or even a band, just him, his guitar, and a microphone.) Bassist Ramone Valerio and drummer Zac Mayfield joined Rodriguez on stage, with newcomer Mitch Stark [Silent Planet] replacing Gino Sgambelluri, who departed the band last year.
It was only fitting to open the Pale Moonlight Tour with its namesake song, “Pale Moonlight,” off their most recent album Creature in the Black Night. Backed by heavy fog and strobing lights, I’ve always appreciated the color themes Dayseeker uses for their live sets, leaning into pink and purple palettes over the traditionally harsh reds and yellows. Dayseeker wove a set list filled with songs from the newest album while still paying homage to their older tracks such as “Dreamstate,” “Burial Plot,” and of course encoring with the song that put them all over radio, “Neon Grave.” Rodriguez covered My Chemical Romance mid set with “The Ghost of You” before bringing out Northlane vocalist Marcus Bridge for a duet of “Bloodlust,” arguably the highlight of the night for me. Bridge and Rodriguez independently have some of the most memorable harsh vocals in the industry, combined was a next level experience. The sold out tour continues through the end of the month before heading overseas for the next leg. Tickets for all US dates are available on the resale market. | Erica Vining
