Caskets: North America Tour 29/09/2024

Rating: ★★★★★

The Social Rating: ★★★★★

Where I stayed: Courtyard Orlando Downtown

SETLIST:

Guiding Light
Hate Me
Nothing To Hide
Drowned In Emotion
More Than Misery
Too Late
Hold Me Now
Falling Apart
Silhouette
Lost In Echoes
Glass Heart
Better Way Out

I discovered Caskets at Slam Dunk Festival earlier this year, when they performed on the GoPro Stage before The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I am glad Caskets had been given the previous time slot on the same stage, as I ended up enjoying their set even more than TRJA. I was given a week off from work before our shop underwent a refit, so I wanted to do something memorable with it. Of course, my plans revolved around music. I booked a trip to Florida to see two of my favourite bands, The Used and Plain White T’s, touring together. I flew into Orlando, which was the cheapest option. I was excited to find out Caskets were performing at The Social on my first full day on holiday. It stated on the venue’s website the band were from the UK, so I knew it was definitely the same band I fell for at the festival. There was a meet and greet option but I don’t remember it being available when I was booking my ticket, which is a shame. Maybe I will do it next time, in the UK. I arrived about twenty minutes before the doors were due to open and was surprised to see the queue had already wrapped around the corner of the building. I didn’t realise how many fans Caskets had in the US, since this was their first North American headline tour. Both opening bands, Colorblind and Wind Walkers, appear to have quite a large following. We got caught in a sudden downpour around the time the staff members were handing out wristbands to those who wanted to purchase drinks but it was over in five minutes. Someone in front of me looked up at the sky and shouted “Florida!” I got the impression this kind of weather is normal for this area. I was extremely lucky to avoid the two hurricanes which hit Florida recently. When I approached the doors, I heard people discussing how no bags are allowed inside. I glanced around and, sure enough, it was only me who had one. I dreaded having to return to the hotel and rejoin the queue but they let me in with it.

Colorblind was warmly received, which didn’t surprise me after seeing dozens of people lining up to buy their merchandise. The band formed in Texas and is made up of Travis William Moseley (vocals), Justin Page (guitarist), Nick Asper (bass) and Tyler Moseley (drums). TWM expressed his excitement for having a larger crowd than the last time they had performed at The Social in Orlando. He said there had barely been anyone there on the previous occasion and I could tell the enthusiastic crowd meant a lot to him. I looked up what genre their music comes under, as it sounded more pop to me than Wind Walkers and Caskets, and they seem to come under dreamcore. It is impossible to put their music into a single box, as they experiment with various styles. There are genres and subgenres of music I have never heard of and it can get very confusing, though I admire the creative titles. I’m shocked I hadn’t come across this band before, as I will definitely be re-listening to their catchy and melodic songs on Spotify. Wind Walkers came on shortly after and agreed Colorblind had “blown the roof off” the venue. The lead singer, Trevor Borg, encouraged us to applaud Caskets for travelling all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. I was celebrating doing the same thing myself, so I clapped extra hard. From Massachusetts, WW is also composed of the talented Timothy Comeau and Neil Comeau (guitar), Craig Martin (bass) and Ethan Cheesman (drums). TB spoke about how he finds touring difficult as he doesn’t like being separated from his family, and how those emotions have seeped into the music. Every song sounded like a big hit and, like Colorblind, they had an abundance of confidence on stage. They sounded much more similar to Caskets, though I enjoyed the two opening acts equally and am interested to see if their names pop up again at future events or festivals I attend.

The crew members set up a skeleton prop at the side of the stage, which suited Caskets perfectly. I also admired the roses decorating the microphone stand, which looked pretty in front of the backdrop and the venue’s distinctive brick walls. I was near the back but I’m sure I noticed somebody down the front asking for the flowers. A crew member shook their head to tell them no, as the band would have needed to reuse them for future shows. Roses are used in a lot of their designs, including their backdrop. I can’t blame the person for trying their luck. They opened with the glorious ‘Guiding Light’ from their 2023 album ‘Reflections’, starting the night off with a bang. It is one of my favourite songs of theirs and it was great to see the band so full of energy and captivating the crowd from the beginning. Matt Flood (vocals), Benji Wilson (guitar), Craig Robinson (guitar) and James Lazenby (drums) are extremely impressive musicians. I could tell MF was emotional at points, since the majority of people were singing the songs at the top of their lungs. Coming from Leeds in England, MF seemed unable to wrap his head around performing in front of such a dedicated fanbase on the other side of the Atlantic. Although I was only introduced to their music this year, Caskets formed back in 2018 under the name Captives and it is brilliant to see them thrive and gain recognition. MF is easily one of the best vocalists I have heard and the whole band blew me away. I originally strongly associated them with Bring Me The Horizon, another of my favourite bands. However, I have listened to Caskets enough over the past few months to realise they have created their own identity. The crowd were most passionate about the band’s biggest hits, ‘Glass Heart’ and ‘Lost In Echoes’, though were familiar with each of the songs on the setlist. There was a huge amount of love in the room and I’m really pleased I had the opportunity to see them again.

I was sad when the gig came to a close, as the songs seemed to be over too soon, with only twelve on the setlist. I did get incredible value out of the $30 I spent on the ticket, since the opening bands exceeded my expectations and I am excited to listen to them again. And Caskets, of course, were phenomenal. Paying that kind of price for a ticket is practically unheard of in the UK. Concert prices seem to keep going up. I agonised over which t-shirt to take home with me, as all of them were well designed. I picked a grey one with the lyrics ‘Light me up, watch me go’ from their song ‘Believe’, also off their latest album, which they didn’t actually perform on the night. I don’t think any of the t-shirts had the tour dates on the back, so I couldn’t show off the fact I saw them in Florida. I wore mine with pride the next day, as I journeyed from Orlando to Tampa. I also grabbed a signed setlist, which I wouldn’t have seen earlier as they added it to the rest of the items when I was next in line to make a purchase. I had a great time and think The Social is a lovely venue, with amazing acoustics. It didn’t matter where you stood inside, as you could see the stage clearly from every angle. The floor was elevated by the merch table, where I chose to position myself by the balcony. There is another section down some steps, directly in front of the stage, where you have the best opportunity to interact with the band. I already have tickets for Slam Dunk Festival next year, so I’m hoping Caskets make a return. I will also be keeping a close eye on their website for future tour dates, as I don’t think I could ever tire of their shows.

GALLERY