ERRA Brings Cure Tour To Nashville
April 26th 2024: Almost 2 hours before doors are set to open, I drive by and find a parking lot close to the venue that is also located next to one of my favorite breweries. The line at the door is already over halfway down the side of the building as people are eager to get in. I have some time to spare so I grab a snack and a drink from Tailgate Brewery and wait for time to go in. As soon as doors open, the crowd flooded in and the lines for march seemed to grow by the second. I took a walk around the venue to scout spots for good photos and finally settle in for the night.
The crowd was already rambunctious waiting for Novelists to take the stage. Finally, the lights dim and the crowd roars. The French band make their way to the stage and immediately grabs everyone's attention with "Lost Cause.” Vocalist, Camille Contreras, commands attention and is a massive ball of energy. After the first song is over, Contreras explains that this is her first time touring the US and that they put the wrong fuel in the RV. Needless to say, tour has already been an adventure. The band kicks right back off with "Terrorist,” "Prisoner,” and "Mourning The Dawn" without skipping a beat. There was a pit going every single song. Contreras has everyone eating from her hand. They ended the set with "Turn It Up.” This was my first time ever hearing Novelists' music, much less seeing them live, and they set the bar high for the rest of the night.
After a quick changeover, Void Of Vision took the stage. "EMPTY" kicked off the set with a BANG! Frontman Jack Bergin knows how to work the crowd and encourages them to give him more energy. Brooklyn Bowl already has a pretty decent size stage, but Bergin has a unique way of making it seem even bigger. He has unrelenting energy and never stops moving. The set continued with "HELL HELL HELL" and "Year Of The Rat". The band ended with "INTO THE DARK" and the crowd absolutely lost their minds. From the balcony, I watched the floor split and couldn't help but smile when everyone went smashing into each other.
The crowd was getting antsy for Make Them Suffer to take the stage. After a quick line check, the lights dimmed and members made their way to the stage. "Ghost Of Me" begins and the crowd erupts. At one point, there were two pits going at once. The band is so high energy and you can see the crowd feed off of that energy. Sean Harmanis' screams paired with keyboardist/vocalist Alex Reade's cleans is a match made in heaven. It creates such a beautiful dynamic when they start going back and forth. By the second song "Bones,” Harmanis was calling for crowd surfers and the crowd simply did not stop. Photographers in the photo pit had to leave because there were so many. The highlight for me was hearing how tight the band was live. They sound almost record perfect. Hearing Epitaph and it sound just as good live as in the studio was what did it for me. Make Them Suffer finished the night with Doomswitch and set the stage for one of my favorite bands, ERRA.
I remember reading an article a few years ago, and it stated "ERRA is tighter than a clinched fist and they hit even harder." After FINALLY getting the chance to see them on this night, I can confirm this a true statement. It was great to see them headlining, especially after the newly released album "Cure.” ERRA opens with the title track and their specific sound immediately grabs you. It's heavy yet so groovy. Vocalist JT Cavey screams like a man possessed while guitarist and clean vocalist, Jesse Cash, takes you to an ethereal realm with his soaring vocals. The setlist was perfectly curated for fans old and new alike. They played songs even from the 2011 album "Impulse". Cavey announced "Scorpion Hymn" and the crowd lost their minds, forming one of the largest pits of the night. "Snowblood" rounded out the setlist, and the fans immediately called for an encore. Much to the fans delight, ERRA made its way back on stage and played one of my personal favorites, "Skyline." The clean intro, played by Cash, gives me full body chills and then the band kicks into overdrive.
Aside from the music, one thing that stuck out to me was the stage production. ERRA's light show is probably one of the best I've seen in quite some time. After this show, ERRA has solidified themselves as THE Progressive Metalcore band. Each song played was attention grabbing. Whether starting chaotically or soft and ethereal, there was not a bad song played tonight. Do not miss this tour.
