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ANBERLIN
+ Hawthorne Heights
+ The Word Alive
@ Enmore Theatre, Sydney,
25th January 2024
(Live Review)

Review by Amelia Torresan

Photos by Darren Chan’s (@darrenchanphotography)

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ANBERLIN, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Once the flame is lit, it can spread like wildfire.

This one line is a perfect description of the energy at the show that was played last night at the Enmore Theatre by The Word Alive, Hawthorne Heights and Anberlin. The Word Alive lit the flame, Hawthorne Heights fed and fanned it, and by the time Anberlin came onstage the energy erupted into a wildfire that only the band themselves could tame.

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THE WORD ALIVE, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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The night began with The Word Alive, a metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona. The band already had a home on my playlists long before the show so I was eager to watch from the get-go. Lead singer Tyler Smith was a photographer’s dream, bounding sound the stage and performing like his life depended on it, even leaping from an amp during the breakdown of a song. His band members also rose to the occasion and supported him with their own energy and crowd engagement. The Word Alive started with a bang with their 2023 release ‘Strange Love’ and continued to play a wide range of hits, new and old, including ‘Why Am I Like This?,’ Trapped,’ ‘Slow Burn,’ ‘New Reality,’ and for its first Australia Tour, ‘One of Us.’ Once their set ended, there were stunned remarks from the crowd about how The Word Alive would now have a home on their playlists too based off of their incredible energy, performance and music.

“Welcome to your new reality

Is it everything that you thought it would be?”

The flame was lit and so the crowd was buzzing and ready for the next band, Hawthorne Heights, to take to the stage. If you’re an ‘elder emo’, then Hawthorne Heights already has a song in your playlist that probably is the only thing you think of when you hear ‘Ohio’: ‘Ohio is For Lovers.’ Lead singer JT Woodruff even reminisced during their set on when the crowd were all kids with ‘shit hair’ and took photos from a dramatic upward angle and admitted that he didn’t know what the crowd would want to hear so they just decided to play non-stop hits, which he absolutely delivered on. Hawthorne Heights’ set consisted of ‘This Is Who We Are,’ ‘Saying Sorry,’ ‘Pens and Needles,’ ‘Dandelions’ and finished on the only song that was perfect to end their set and no doubt their most iconic song: ‘Ohio is For Lovers.’ I would argue that it is one of the most iconic emo songs to date and seeing that song live really solidified my ‘it was never a phase’ mindset! The band preached messages of support and positivity and removing toxicity from your life to the crowd which warmed our hearts and JT even offered hugs, handshakes, selfies and kind words to the crowd when their set was done. I think the crowd’s hearts will be going back with the band to Ohio because they’ve definitely stolen them!

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HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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“And I can’t make it on my own

Because my heart is in Ohio”

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ANBERLIN, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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The energy was at an all time high as the main act of the night, Anberlin, were due to appear onstage. You could hear the excitement of the crowd and in it snippets of conversations discussing favourite songs, how they discovered the band initially, and which songs they wanted to see the most. Bathed in red light and dressed top to toe in white like a 90’s boyband, Anberlin entered had the crowd screaming “Speak for yourself, You paper tigers. You’ll crash where you stand, you’ve got a riot on your hands”, the lyrics to their opening song ‘The Resistance.’ Not wasting a single moment, they sped right into ‘Never Take Friendship Personal’ and ‘Paperthin Hymn’, where lead vocalist Stephen Christian stood on the barrier railing and sang with the crowd.

The energy of the crowd was radiated tenfold by the band themselves, riled up the crowd and looking like they were having just as much, if not more, fun than them. ‘Two Graves’ and ‘Impossible’ kept the grooves going with the crowd singing calls and responses with lead singer Stephen Christian and feeding off of each other’s energy. It definitely felt more like a party than a concert because the vibes were so much fun. ‘A Day Late’ was up next, an upbeat dance worthy track, and one of my personal favourites, where the crowd was shouting not only the main vocals with Stephen Christian but also the backing vocals alongside guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney.

Professing their love for Australia, which also seemed to be the general consensus of all the emo/alternative bands of the night, the band segued into their tribute to this country ‘Adeleide,’ which despite being Sydneysiders, we sung with just as much enthusiasm as if it was called ‘Sydney.’ For a change of pace, ‘The Unwinding Cable Car’ and ‘Inevitable’ brought an acoustic break to the setlist and had everyone in their feelings, singing with their phone torches out and purely feeling and enjoying the moment. With all of Anberlin dressed in white, the scene and its soundtrack were verging on angelic.

“Your motive, unstable

You’re like an unwinding cable car”

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ANBERLIN, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Dialling the energy right back up to an 11, Anberlin jump started the crowd with their next song ‘Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen’ complete with a captivating instrumental break that truly showed off the skills of Anberlin’s musicians. ‘Godspeed’ was the beginning of the end, one of the band’s biggest songs to ensure that the night, the crowd and the band themselves ended on a high. From this moment the crows were in a state of euphoria, singing along to every word of every line with their entire chest. ‘Lacerate’ followed suit, the energy of the crowd ready to blow the roof off of the Enmore Theatre and then it was time, time for Anberlin’s biggest song, and “final” song of the night that the entire crowd had waited for.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a band become one with the audience, Stephen Christian rejoined the crowd on the railing on both sides of the stage, holding onto his fans for support, the way the band has supported their fans for the one and only, ‘Feel Good Drag.’

“Was this over before, before it ever began?

Your kiss, your calls, your crutch

Like the devil’s got your hands”

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ANBERLIN, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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The crowd was so incredibly loud that the amplified vocals of the band barely rose above. If there’s anyone who goes hard out for their favourite songs it’s the alternative, emo kids, and tonight was a perfect example of that. There was so much love for this song, the band, the support and the chance to be in this moment that it was hard to miss when you looked around through the crowd. Groups of friends were grabbing each other and singing to each other, to the band, and to random strangers who were also enjoying themselves. It was pure happiness.

After a brief peek-a-boo, the band returned with the only song fitting to be their last song: ‘(*Fin).’ A delicate, acoustic song with choral backing vocals, it definitely reiterated the band’s image of looking, and now sounding, angelic. As the song came to an end, the crowd, without a doubt, left the theatre content, full of appreciation for not only Anberlin, but for The Word Alive and Hawthorne Heights and their music, but with a memory that will stay with them forever.

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ANBERLIN 2024
AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Tickets available via www.destroyalllines.com

Supported by HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS and THE WORD ALIVE

Sunday 21 January – Astor Theatre PERTH
Tuesday 23 January – The Gov ADELAIDE
Thursday 25 January – Enmore Theatre SYDNEY
Friday 26 January – The Tivoli BRISBANE
Sunday 28 January – Northcote Theatre MELBOURNE

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Check out Darren Chan’s (@darrenchanphotography) full gallery of the Melbourne event HERE

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Follow ANBERLIN:
Facebook – Twitter – Instagram
Website – Youtube

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ANBERLIN, Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, 27th January 2024 / Photo – @darrenchanphotography

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Praise for ANBERLIN

“Exploring new ideas without losing sight of what always made the band great, it’s a mature, thoughtful EP with a clear beginning, middle and end. An unexpected delight.”
– PUNKTASTIC [Silverline, 2022]

“…this just shows that the guys can still command the chords as they once did years ago and beyond. It’s a trick one may never lose, and it looks like the practice has been made perfect.”
– DISTORTED SOUND [Silverline, 2022]

“One thing is for sure, though, and it’s that Anberlin is still refusing to rest on their laurels and adapt to a particular fan-pleasing aesthetic. They’re continually searching for ways to break new ground, and somehow – two decades into their careers – becoming louder and more reckless in their approach.”
– SPUTNIK MUSIC [Convinced, 2023]

“…a band that has mastered the art of blending alternative rock and emo genres flawlessly.”
– GHOST CULT MAG

“For fans of Anberlin, the good times were back and we all hope they’re here to stay.”
303 MAGAZINE

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Press Release 22nd October 2023 (below) HERE

U.S. alt-rock favourites
ANBERLIN
announce 2024 Australian tour

With special guests
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
and
THE WORD ALIVE
STEPHEN CHRISTIAN’s
final Australian shows

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AMNPLIFY – DB