The boys in Nonpoint are back at it. Just starting the second leg of their “Painful Statements” tour. On Saturday August 9th I traveled to The Webster in Hartford Connecticut with two of my very best friends to check it out.
We loaded up and took the 2-hour drive and it was well worth it. The band celebrated the 25th and 20th anniversary of the albums “Statement” and “To The Pain”. Front to back and Back to front.
Since recording these albums in 2000 and 2005 the band has endured a couple member changes, Robb the drummer and Elias the vocalist being the constant driving force from the start. They have added Adam holding down the bass, Rasheed and Jaysin bringing the violence on guitar. Having transformed from a 4 piece band to a 5 piece brings an added layer of sound that has exponentially increased the layers of the songs live.
I have seen Nonpoint so many times; in order to accurately count I have to take off my shoes and socks AND pull down my pants and it still doesn’t add up. The opening bands were Autumn Kings and Upon a Burning Body. Both bands brought the same energy that Nonpoint did when they were paying their dues coming up and taking towns over song by song as openers.Autumn Kings are putting in the work and will be a name you will hear more from.
Upon a Burning Body put on a great show, and they drew a younger crowd who was there to mosh and let their rage out. It brought much joy to this old metalhead.
The show started with a narrated clip from Elias explaining his start with the band and the events leading to him becoming the singer. They started with track one off Statement “Mindtrip” and the crowd was instantly pumped. They ran through the entire album; highlighting the set was “Victim, What a Day, Double Stakked and even the rarely played rap mash up Tribute”
There was a brief intermission and then another voice over of Elias explaining the timing and importance of the album “To the Pain”. They played this album back to front, building the energy in reverse. Those familiar with the album know that it ends with the melodic double track of “The longest beginning/ The shortest ending”
They back tracked through the album playing songs that diehards haven’t heard in decades, “Code Red, Explain Myself, Buscandome, before coming into the staples Alive and Kicking and The Wreckoning”
They closed the show on the standout hit from that album, the one that most people know from Nonpoint. “Bullet with a Name”. Damn it if they didn’t bring the house down with it.
For a brief moment I was brought back to my mid 20s in Northern Lights or Valentines watching Nonpoint command the crowd for almost 2 hours straight; seemingly having the time of their lives on stage. As one of my favorite bands from the 00’s I am looking forward to a new album from them, and hopefully an appearance here in the Albany area.
I am doing my due diligence and letting them know that WABY is here!!! I ask you to do the same. Go check out their socials and tell them to come to Albany. Keep an eye out for Autumn Kings and Upon a Burning Body. You can catch them on Wednesday the 13th in Syracuse at “The Song and Dance”
