Images: Senses Fail, For the Fallen Dreams, Expire, Being as an Ocean October 6, 2013 at Hard Rock Live

Senses Fail brought together a who’s who of modern hardcore bands for their fall 2013 tour, and their Oct. 6 Vegas stop at Hard Rock Live grew crowded early into the night and stayed that way to the very end.

Up first was Alpine, CA melodic hardcore band Being As An Ocean. Their latest single “The People Who Share My Name” was very well received by a crowd that stayed enthusiastic during their entire set, which culminated in the crowd surfing of lead singer Joel Quartuccio.

Next up was Milwaukee’s Expire, who I was really excited to see based on the endless stream of praise being heaped upon them by friends and the internet. The group currently calls Bridge Nine Records home, a label that has housed bands from H2O to Defeater, which means they have a pretty big legacy to live up to. And based on this show, I feel they’re fitting in with their Bridge Nine friends quite nicely. I saw many familiar faces from East Side Joe’s shows going completely nuts, and while I was continuously checking my surroundings for flailing limbs, lead singer Josh Kelting reminded fans to keep those in your life that are easy to love, and want you, and let go of those that don’t.

For The Fallen Dreams took the stage next with frontman Chad Ruhlig sporting crutches and a foot brace. Despite having to rest his leg on a box for the entire set, Ruhlig gave it his all and kept the energy high. They kicked off with their latest single “Substance,” which set a great tone for the rest of the set, which also included “Nightmare” and “December Everyday.”

Next up was the band the crowd had been waiting for – Senses Fail. People in their late 20s/early 30s who grew up with them from their early days on Drive Thru Records joined teens just discovering them with Renacer for wall to wall with excitement. Little did fans know of the monster of a set Senses Fail was about to put on, drilling through “Calling All Cars,” “Rum Is For Drinking,” “New Jersey Falls Into The Atlantic,” “Between The Mountains And The Sea” and many more. The band recently announced that they’re retiring longtime set standard “187” and stuck to their word, at the visible disappointment of a few fans, but the looks of frustration quickly turned to delight as they ripped through more favorites like “Bonecrusher” and set-ender “War Paint.”

-Hunter Wallace | https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter_wallace/