Concert Review: Supervillains Tour – Club Nokia (Los Angeles) by Janie McManamon (West Coast Contributer)
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 5) — Ronnie Radke has done it again. He is so completely free and in the moment on stage that he can’t help but guide everyone at a Falling in Reverse show to do and feel the same — to let out aggressions and not worry about what work they’ve got to do tomorrow.
Radke and his band headlined the Supervillains Tour, which stopped recently at Club Nokia in Hollywood. Metro Station and Attila got the crowd going for Falling in Reverse, who lived up to each and every expectation. Radke’s unmatchable energy and powerful presence dominated the room, proving that he remains a force. The evening was mosh pit Metalcore at its finest.
The stage for Falling in Reverse is set with tall city buildings with neon windows, flashing lights flickering from among them and in front as well. It gives the band the right “larger than life” aesthetic – as if they’re human “metal” Godzillas walking among humankind.
There’s even what appears to be a balance beam set across the front of the stage that Radke likes to pace across – adding his own unique, goofy dances as he goes.
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I had seen Falling in Reverse once before – and it felt like I had been lifted off the ground with their energy and excitement. Now, just a bit over a year later, I relished in the same energy. They haven’t lost any of it, and they are riding the waves of support the crowd gives, as well as their own pride in their achievements. There is truly no end to the band’s liveliness and vigor.
“Rolling Stone” always makes for the memorable number. Radke never fails with his fast mouth and clever lyrics. The expanse of his creativity is clear in his performance as well. He’s got snazzy little dance moves to end each song and he even “collapses” at the end of one. While it is humorous, it adds just the right touch of unpredictability to the performance.
Radke had a young teenager in tow to help out with “The Drug in Me is You.” There’s always something special when bands share the stage with aspiring artists, and Radke promoted this 14-year-old, Jacob, and his band, Shot in the Dark. It was inspiring to see an accomplished artist encourage a younger artist making his way in the genre.
Falling in Reverse always brings something new to the table, but they are very good at retaining their roots – as they include hugely successful songs from their first album in the setlist. The crowd loved yelling back, “Hi, Ronnie!” during “I’m Not a Vampire.” Radke managed to retain his own personal roots as well, surprising everyone with some old Escape the Fate songs, including “Situations” and “Not Good Enough for the Truth in Cliché.”
Falling in Reverse’s relentless energy and ability is a happy contrast to the sad reality that concerts don’t last forever.
Metro Station opened with a short but impressive set, ending with the genius choice of “Shake It,” and a welcome mini-rant about the fact no one person is cooler than anyone else.
After their set ended, the stage background soon featured a large sheet with the printed “Parental Advisory” stamp across it, but the “A” was more embellished – splattered on in the form of Attila’s logo. The stage crew hauled out a few more steel As, molded in the same fashion, and set them symmetrically between two walls of amps. Soon the lights began to dim and some industrial electronics beat from an unknown source.
Attila didn’t just run onto the stage, play some songs, encourage heavy moshing, and get everyone hyped for Falling in Reverse; Attila killed it — aesthetic, quality, energy and all.
While no band is merely a lead singer, it is very necessary to appreciate Fronz’s talent. He sounds just as good live as he does in professional recordings – and when working in a business that requires screaming and vocal fry (an already difficult technique to master) – it speaks volumes that Fronz achieved that sound live without the help of distortion technologies. He produced everything organically; he never even held the mic to the audience except for those “repeat-back-to-me” moments that introduced a following song.
Attila’s energy is practically tangible. There was even a moment between songs when your typical concert-goer in a backwards baseball cap hoisted his cup of beer in the air as a toast and shouted, “You’ve got a new fan!” Make that two.
All in all, the impressive lineup makes for a pretty wild, exciting night.
The only thing regrettable about the Supervillains Tour? Missing it.
The Supervillains Tour will be stopping at the Agora Ballroom on December 5th
Janie McManamon is a transplanted Clevelander. She is a huge Cav’s and heavy metal fan and lucky for us our West Coast contributor.
