BY MAUI CABRAL HOLY SHIT! Chiodos is in Raleigh! Hold on a sec.. FRANKIE PALMERI is TOO? Dude, what a wild lineup. Callous Daoboys, EMMURE...
BY MAUI CABRAL
HOLY SHIT! Chiodos is in Raleigh! Hold on a sec.. FRANKIE PALMERI is TOO? Dude, what a wild lineup. Callous Daoboys, EMMURE, Hawthorne Heights, and Chiodos.
Let me fan girl for a second. I FINALLY get to see Emmure live. Not only do I get to see them perform, but I'm shooting it. Oh this is bonkers. Forgive me, but let's take another trip down memory lane.
When I was introduced to EMMURE by Ronnie, one of our childhood best friends, who we legitimately call our other brother. He would go skateboarding with me and randomly quote lyrics from Emmure songs. I would always be so curious, and finally when i saw him wearing one of their shirts, i said just fucking show me who they are already. Oh lord, we just opened Pandora's Box.
He went on to show me a few music videos first, "Solar Flare Homocide," "MDMA," "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong," and more. Also paused for a second and said, "Yo, the dude is obsessed with Street Fighter," which was and still is one of my all-time favorite arcade video games. He showed me Frankie’s commitment to the franchise with tattoos of some of the characters, especially the most noticeable one of all: his favorite character, M. Bison. He had the Shadaloo logo right on his neck. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Following many years, and i have grown to love Emmure more and more. Of course my respect for Frankie also continued to grow, a fellow Queens kid just being himself, and letting everything else fall into place. Okay, memory lane over.
To open up was Callous Daoboys. This band caught me by surprise. The combination of different genres just absolutely blew me away. Hell, the violinist playing along with metal music with a big smile on her face. I froze in my tracks and couldn't help but step back and just watch this group as they aboslutley killed it on stage.
Next was Emmure. Now I can tell you I was excited, but hell, I'm sure this essay above practically explains that. This one was an experience like no other. To say I didnt look back into the crowd and wish Ronnie was there to witness it as well, I’d be lying. However, i did get to turn around and see my older brother Manny there right up front watching his little brother complete one of his biggest goals, getting to shoot for Emmure. Now did i dress up? Oh yes i did. I wore an M. Bison t-shirt with an Akuma Konji gat. Did I go overboard? Not much. But I did bring an Akuma Keychain for Frankie, which I gave to Drew from Charlotte, a fellow photographer who just so happens to be touring with these awesome bands. He gave it to Frankie Palmeri after the show and found me to let me know he was very appreciative of the little gesture. Now, let me tell you. Emmure is one of those bands you CANNOT miss. Although they are a little more tough-skinned than most people and sometimes they get hated on. You just can't say you don’t respect them. This band is an absolute MUST watch for me. Forever.
Next was Hawthorne Heights, one of my older brother’s favorites growing up. They inspired him to get into scream vocals. Which, if you ask me, is VERY difficult to even try. This performance was vibrant. Not just the songs, but the words the vocalist said to the crowds. The way he brought everyone together was just so beautiful. I stood back to people-watch a bit on this one. There were a few tears, but so much joy. A wonderful reminder that music will be forever, and will never let you feel alone.
Finally, Chiodos. I have not heard them in YEARS! I didn’t even want a refresher because i heard that the performance was well worth it. Now let me mention, not just their performance, but their lighting was also very much on point! I could hear people behind me saying the Lead singer just looked HOLY. Shit, man, They were aboslutley correct. This performance was intense, yet in all the chaos, there was so much peace. Something about the way they were able to grab everyone’s attention, and how aware the band was of everything. From the photographers, to the engagement with the crowd, to the music, man, it was live music perfection.
They killed it. This is one of those tours that I 100% recommend if it’s in your neck of the woods. Also, if it’s not? Ttravel. It’s worth every second.
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- JOSH "MAUI" CABRAL
Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!
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