(Wednesday - January 17, 2024) Despite being the middle of the week, I geared up for an outstanding opportunity to photograph two phenomenal bands at The Winchester in Lakewood, Ohio. Taking the stage Wednesday night in Ohio were September Mourning and Ovtlier.
The first band to perform was Hooked Like Helen, an alternative band from Sandusky, Ohio. They brought so much energy to the small crowd that had gathered. The lead singer played the keyboard while additionally belting her heart out and reaching transcending ranges. Later on, she climbed onto a plastic box to sing directly to the crowd. Their fans loved this part of the show and continued to cheer them on throughout the night.
During their set, the band members would mess with each other by pushing and hitting each other around. However, this only added to the fun and energy of the show, which the crowd fed off of.
The second band to take the stage was Ovtlier, a metal band from New York. They started the set off with a small group huddle to prepare for the show. They kicked off their setlist with their song "Dead Man Running", which got fans invigorated for their set within the first few seconds. Fans were headbanging throughout their songs and singing along with them on the top of their lungs. Although there weren't many people at the concert due to the bad weather, Ovtlier still appreciated everyone for coming out to support them and the crowd still gave their all nonetheless. They said that they hope to play back in Cleveland soon and I surely hope so too!
The final band to rock out The Winchester was September Mourning. The band transported listeners into a video game world with their vampire appearances and eccentric stage set-up that included TV screens displaying backstories for the songs. With each song performed, a new program would flash on the screens on the televisions, displaying the backstories to every song. The experience was truly transcending as a story unraveled from the opening song to the closing, it was really cool to see the storyline visually as well as audibly.
The lead singer was very active with the crowd, asking everyone questions about if we had seen them play live before, or if we were having a good time. A lot of the fans were singing and cheering throughout the set, overfilled with exuberance. Even the lead singer from Hooked Like Helen was in the crowd, enjoying the performance while also taking memorable videos and pictures. Overall, I think it is safe to say everyone had a great time, despite the weather, supporting September Mourning in Ohio and fans even got the chance to meet the lead singer after their set at the merch tables!
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