Summer of Loud Brought the Sun & Energy to The Great Park Live in Irvine
Summer of Loud was bringing the heat this past weekend in Irvine. This summer tour was one of those you had to be there moments to really get what it was about. After the events that happened in May with Sound Talent Group co-founder Dave Shapiro passing away from a tragic plane crash that involved former The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams plus close friends and staff of STG, this tour had a lot more meaning to it for all the bands performing and fans. Summer of Loud officially became a dedication to those lost in the tragic event.
As the day was about to start, unfortunate news came from The Devil Wears Prada camp that they had to pull out for the day due to illness so led to a slight delay in doors opening at the venue. Once doors opened though, you can see the fans heading straight to the stage to patiently wait for Kingdom of Giants to kick off the day. Let me tell you that Kingdom of Giants never disappoints! This was the band’s first day of the tour since the first 8 dates of the tour had the band TX2 open up the tour, so it was definitely going to be a different vibe than those first few shows. Kingdom of Giants kicked off their set with their song “Asphalt” from their 2024 EP Bleeding Star and it’s one of those songs that will have you jumping and grooving the entire time. They also played some classics like “Wasted Space”, “Bleach” and “Wayfinder”. This was also the live debut of their most recent single “Collide” off their brand new EP Burning Chrome that’s out August 29th and it was probably my favorite song off their set. The crowd was vibing and dancing off the band’s energy, they were definitely a great way to kick off Summer of Loud.
Up next were Australian natives, Alpha Wolf. Now if you have never seen Alpha Wolf live, prepare yourself for some crazy and hardcore energy not only from the band, but the fans. Probably the biggest hardcore pits the entire day and the fans were living for it. Playing songs like “Sucks 2 Suck”, “Sub-Zero”, “Haunter” and “Akudama”, Alpha Wolf set the bar high for the rest of the night.
Since The Devil Wears Prada set got cut for the day, up next on this hot summer day was The Amity Affliction. I took the time to enjoy their set from the back of the crowd to cool off, but still the energy from the front was radiating all the way to the back during the set. The band played their classic hits like “Pittsburgh”, “Drag the Lake”, “Soak Me in Bleach” and their recent new single “All That I Remember”. During “It’s Hell Down Here”, vocalist Joel Birch broke two bones in his left foot during the set, but continued the set like a pro and will still continue to perform the rest of the tour with limited movement.
As the day led on, we were finally getting to the legends in Killswitch Engage. Any opportunity you see to see them live, this is your sign to take it. They are truly legends in the scene for a reason with hits like “Rose of Sharyn”, “The Signal Fire”, “My Curse”, “The End of Heartache” and “Holy Diver” best believe the crowd was either in running for their lives in that pit or singing their lungs out to each and every song. They also played songs off their recently released album This Consequence like “I Believe”, “Forever Aligned” and “Aftermath”. Truly moments that are hard to explain, but you had to be there to experience them.
Now there was no pyro for the entirety of this show sadly, so when Parkway Drive came on the stage, there was no fiery wheel of death for their set, but that didn’t mean that set wasn't on fire! The energy was high and the crowd was going insane for every song they played. From “Glitch” to “Bottom Feeder”, the energy was insane throughout their set. The band even played their new single “Sacred” and it was definitely amazing hearing it live. Truly another great performance from the Australian metalcore band.
As the sun started to set and it slowly started cooling down, the night was still not over. I Prevail set was one of the few sets I was looking forward to seeing that night, specifically to hear their new singles “Violent Nature” and “Into Hell” live for the first time. The crowd was living for I Prevail. With bangers like “Bow Down”, “Body Bag”. “Bad Things” and even their hit cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”, their show impeccable. The crowd never stopped moving.
Closing out the night was Beartooth. Truly one of my favorite bands to see live. They always have the best set list in my opinion from “Disease” to “Riptide” to “The Past Is Dead”. Beartooth are a force that creates hit after hit after hit. Their live performances are incredible with frontman Caleb Shomo’s high energy and great stage presence, you won’t ever be disappointed with their set. They had fans singing their lungs out to every single song like “ATTN.”, “Sunshine!”, and “In Between”, even having the crowd sing ab libs, like Freddie Mercury of Queen did, after the song was over.
Summer of Loud was truly a night to remember. Being able to experience the hard work of Dave Shappiro is truly incredible to bring multiple bands together like that to spread the message of music. This is a tour you don’t want to miss out on. The tour continues tomorrow in Salt Lake City, UT. Dark Divine will be joining the tour on July 16th in Clarkston, MI taking over the opening slot for the remainder of the tour. Make sure you grab tickets to the coolest summer tour!
Summer of Loud Remaining Dates:
7/8 Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/9 Denver, CO @ The JunkYard
7/11 Somerset, WI @ Somerset Amphitheater
7/12 Green Bay, WI @ Capital Credit Union Park
7/13 Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
7/15 Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
7/16 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/18 Mansfield, OH @ Inkcarceration
7/19 York, PA @ York State Fair
7/20 Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
7/22 Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
7/23 Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
7/24 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/26 Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
7/27 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
📸 by: @travelertrippy