Images: The Devil Wears Prada, Every Time I Die, Letlive, Oh, Sleeper, March 15, 2012 at the Hard Rock Café on the Strip

Having missed the first leg of the Dead Throne Tour (featuring For Today, a band I really want to see live) I made sure to be there this time around. Not only was one of my all-time favorite bands, Every Time I Die, on the bill, but Letlive was also playing and I’d heard nothing but good things about their live performance. I’d been looking forward to this show for months. I took the night off of work and everything. And man, not one band disappointed.

This was my first time listening to Oh, Sleeper aside from a couple of music videos I came across on YouTube, and they did great. The highlight was “The Family Ruin,” which is a lot slower and more powerful than the rest of their stuff and resonated very well on stage. Heavy crowd involvement and bass-ridden breakdowns really warmed up the audience for what was to come.

I hear Letlive’s vocalist Jason Butler described as “crazy” quite a bit. I think the proper word is “incredible.” As eccentric as he is talented, him and his band had the whole room’s eyes glued to them for their entire set. The whole venue became a stage, the microphone was optional, and the riffs were killer. When Butler took a minute to catch his breath, he spoke on the meaning of “Muther,” and the importance of his mother (who was in attendance) to him and his everyday life. It was an incredibly moving moment that I’m sure induced a tear or two from the crowd. I’m definitely going to check those guys out again as soon as I can.

The crowd was buzzing when Letlive left the stage, partly because of what we had just witnessed and partly because the wily veterans in Every Time I Die were up next. This was my third time seeing them and each time, they’ve been just as intense as the last. They went right into the first single off their latest album Ex Lives “Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space” which led to instantaneous and multiple mosh pits. It was yet another awesome ETID set with a healthy mix of new songs and old classics like “Ebolarama” and “The New Black.” Their heaviest song and concert staple “Floater” paired with vocalist Keith Buckley’s usual jokes put a bow on the performance. After a trip to the bathroom to wipe the sweat from my face, it was time for the headliner.

The first time I saw The Devil Wears Prada live, they had a considerably smaller following than they do now. It wasn’t weird seeing them headline this show, because they’ve been releasing quality material for years, but I was surprised at how astounding their stage presence is and just how good their live show has become. They hit the stage at one hundred miles an hour and never let up. Most of the songs were from their new album Dead Throne but they made sure to include a few songs from their debut to keep the older fans happy. Seeing a bunch of young scene kids sing along with every word definitely made me feel like an old man, but no matter, this show was a blast for anyone at any age.

-Felipe Garcia

Photos by Tyler Newton | http://500px.com/spottedlens