Dance Gavin Dance in Boston – August 13, 2022

Dance Gavin Dance took over Boston, MA with the An Evening with Friends tour on August 13th at Big Night Live. Fans were lining up as early as 4pm for the doors (which I would know, because I was there, patiently waiting to hang out with two of our other amazing photographers!). Joining them that night included two talented bands Body Thief and Royal Coda, the latter of which is led by one of the previous vocalists of Dance Gavin Dance, Kurt Travis. Spoiler: Fans who enjoyed Kurt Travis’ era were in for a treat as he was featured on three songs with the band later that night.

Body Thief

Body Thief led the night by opening with “Night Owls in Mating Season”. While the set felt short, I really enjoyed the time that they played, and found myself listening to their album Travel Glow on the ride home.

Royal Coda

If you’re a fan of Dance Gavin Dance, you’re bound to be a fan of just about every other band associated with Blue Swan Records. That’s especially the case with Royal Coda, which features ex-lead singer Kurt Travis and guitarist Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance. Leading their set with “We Slowly Lose Hope for Things to Come”, the band met the crowd with an unexpected energy that bled into the night. Fans heard songs such as “All in Question”, “As We Fall Into Deep Waters”, and the fan favorite “Becoming The Memory.” 

Dance Gavin Dance

If you’ve been debating on seeing this tour because Tillian is no longer in the band, I can assure you that you’re missing out on one of the most unique experiences a Dance Gavin Dance fan can enjoy. Andrew Wells’, lead singer of Eidola, and currently signed as a permanent back up vocalist for Dance Gavin Dance, has assumed lead for this tour. Lead vocalist Tillian, meanwhile, took some time off for mental health. Earlier this year, the band had lost bassist Tim Feerick, one of the most loved and respected bassists in the post-hardcore scene. Despite this loss still weighing heavily on the shoulders of the band, they were surrounded by the love and support of fans at every stop along the tour, and Boston was no different.

“And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman” was a nostalgic way to start the set, as fans who have been fans since, jeez, the Myspace era, know this classic. Andrew Wells did absolute justice for the vocals for the entirety of the set, which to be honest I’m not surprised, as Eidola is absolutely killer. Jon Mess, the foil to Wells’ vocals, brings a playful energy to the stage, while he effortlessly impresses everyone with how he executes his unclean vocals. The band also consists of Matt Mingus, who is the original drummer, and Will Swan, who is the founder and lead guitarist of Dance Gavin Dance. The stage was heavily crowded with support from Sergio Medina (Royal Coda) and Marc Okubo (Veil of Maya). Marc is currently filling in for Andrew Wells on guitar while he is handling lead vocals.

Dance Gavin Dance earlier this year released Jackpot Juicer, and they played songs off it such as “Pop Off!” and “Synergy”. This album has been a unique experience for everyone, with it being the last recorded album with Tim Feerick on Bass. Personally, as a fan, it was very hard to listen to, but with time it’s grown on me. Fans could also expect to hear songs such as “Strawberry’s Wake,” “Blue Dream,” and “Inspire the Liars.” It was such a unique show, because they sampled a bit of every era of the band.

One of the most unique aspects of this tour was also the backdrops that lined the stage of various albums that Dance Gavin Dance has created. Whenever a song played with a corresponding album, it would illuminate for the remainder of the song. Fans could expect to hear about two songs from each album that lined the stage, but not every album was on there. I think this was a really unique experience and intricate detail that I really appreciated seeing, especially as the majority of their discography was covered. Closing the set, Kurt Travis joined the band on stage and played “Rock Solid” from the self-titled album. One of the best parts of this tour was that both long-time and newer fans could enjoy any aspect of it. This truly was a once in a lifetime experience!