On January 13, 2024, I had the honor to photograph Deadlands, at The Foundry Concert Club in Lakewood, Ohio.
The night began with Velo City, a rock band based out of Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout their set, they interacted with their fans, and two of the band members even went out into the crowd to start a mosh pit. There was a small circle pit towards the end of their last song that invigorated the artists for the final versus of the song, ending the performance with one last punch. Everyone seemed to enjoy their set, the band kept the crowd engaged from start to finish and fed off the crowds energy brilliantly.
The second band that went on was I Fight Fail, another rock piece out of Canton, Ohio. During their set, they admitted that they were more of an emotional band instead of a heavy band. Even though they marketed themselves as a sad band, the fans still enjoyed their set and became captivated with every song. When it was time for them to head off stage, they were giving out some of their setlists. I was one of the people that got a setlist along with another fan next to me, the artists were so grateful for our excitement and support.
The third band to go on was Convictions, a heavy rock band from Fremont, Ohio.
Prior to their performance, the lead singer Mike Felker was conversing with some fans in the crowd. A gentleman next to me was wearing a battle vest adorned with all his favorite bands' patches, so Mike decided to get a piece of yellow tape and write "CONVICTIONS" on it for the man to add to his vest. The fan was ecstatic about it and it made everyone around him even more excited for their set.
Before starting to play, the band gathered in a small huddle and then began performing some heavy music. Everyone in the crowd was having a good time, moshing around, head banging, and eventually even forming a circle pit in the back that ended up near the front of the stage. Convictions summoned the energy the crowd had been holding aside for the headliner of the night, Deadlands, making their performance lively and unforgettable.
Lastly was Deadlands, the rising metalcore band from Long Island, New York.
Before Deadlands stepped on stage, a woman next to me was raving about how much she loves Deadlands and told me she would´ve fainted if Kasey had wished Happy Birthday to her. The effect this band has had on the scene in such short time speaks volumes to the success to come for the ensemble, their first headlining performance in Ohio proved Deadlands is an upcoming metal powerhouse that is not to be reckoned with.
When Deadlands entered the stage, everyone's excitement rose to the roof and fans started shouting their name over the feedback. The set kicked off with their song ¨Shallow Breath,¨ an introduction that had fans singing along and ignited a good time. After the song, Kasey thanked everyone for coming out and supporting them as well as the other bands that played that night. She admitted that this was their first sold-out show on their headlining tour, which has only just begun.
After a few of their own songs, they did a handful covers that they have been famed for on TikTok through viral videos and even played some unreleased songs. This kept the fans on the edge of their, the setlist was unpredictable and each song thrilled the crowd further. Everyone in the crowd was singing the songs word for word, filling the venue with hundreds of voices at once, which in turn made the band members more comfortable in front of their first sold-out audience of the tour. Kasey continuously confessed her appreciation and elation to the crowd making the performance truly feel intimate and special to Ohio.
When they got to their last song, they teased the audience by going off the stage and said it was over. After five minutes, the band re-appeared on stage again and played their last song ¨House Of Cards¨ to a boisterous crowd ending off the night. Once it was time for the show to conclude, they handed out setlists and I was lucky enough to be handed one along with the Birthday girl next to me. After, they said to give them 5 minutes to freshen up then they did a meet and greet at their merch table. When I went up to meet them I got a picture with band, and they said that they were excited to see the photos once they were done being edited. I was happy to hear them say that, the bands connection with their supporters most definitely broadens their reach and brings people back to future shows, I definitely will be back. I ended the night off with a signed setlist, 2 signed drumsticks, and a tee shirt, along with 1,400 photos to edit.
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