SILVERSTEIN AT BROOKLYN BOWL IN NASHVILLE
On December 2, 2023, SIlverstein brought their “This Is How The Wind Shifts 10th Anniversary Tour” through Nashville, TN making a stop at Brooklyn Bowl, and bringing along AVOID and Stray From the Path along for the ride. Playing for a packed house, this tour brought enough energy and thundering rock to make sure that no one left the show feeling like they were just standing around. From the moshing and the crowd surfing (and not just from the fans either), this tour makes sure that everyone has a good time from the time the music hits the first beat.
The night began with AVOID taking the stage with an infectious energy that you can not help feeding into. Frontman Benny Scholl is a force to be reckoned with as he bounds around the stage while singing. He even took the time to climb out into the crowd and surf during their song “Cowabunga”. He never missed a beat as the crowd passed him around and then led him back to the stage area where he continued to sing from standing on the crowd barrier. Once returned to the stage, he encouraged the crowd to follow suit and crowd surf too. They happily obliged, earning a fist bump from Benny as they ran past on their way back to the crowd. This isn’t the first time I have seen this band and just like before, the crowd jumped and moshed and surfed through the whole set. The band played an 8 song set including songs such as “Whatever”, “Flashbang!”, and “Song About James”.
Next up for the evening was Stray From the Path. It was obvious from before the music even started that many in the crowd were no stranger to this band. Once the music started, you saw just how true that was. Once frontman Drew Dijorio stepped on stage you knew what kind of set this was going to be. Encouraging the crowd from the very first moment, the electricity was palpable as they launched into “Guillotine” as their opening number. They led the crowd through a blistering set that included songs such as “III”, “Chest Candy”, and “Needful Things”. Throughout their set, the middle of the venue floor was consumed with a circle pit and various audience members surfing their way to the front while pumping their fists in time to the music. Even a few wanted to make sure they captured the moment by filming on their phones as they were passed to the front. They finished their night out with “First World Problem Child” before leaving the stage to make room for the headliners.
It was finally time for Silverstein to take the stage. As an elder emo myself, there is something nostalgic about a tour celebrating an album that you loved. That is exactly what Silverstein set out to do with this tour. The stage set was backed by a giant banner of the weathervane symbol from the front of the album, with rotating light stands that made sure to accentuate that emblem as well as the band when they were on stage. They played many selections from that record and threw in some other favorites as well to their set to make sure that every Silverstein fan left happy. Boasting a twenty song set and a four song encore, the crowd was treated to a night full of awesome music from the band. A unique aspect of this tour is the band asked for the audience’s input when selecting the songs and order that they were played. They accomplished this by having fans visit a website to weigh in on their choices for the night. They played favorites such as “My Heroine”, “Massachusetts”, and the song that they proclaimed as the heaviest they have ever recorded, “Ultraviolet”, during which Shane Told informed the crowd he wanted to see a circle pit. Of course, they were more than happy to fulfill the request, even though they had been dancing, moshing, and jumping all night. How anyone had any energy left after this night, I will never know. It was nonstop from both the stage and the crowd all night long. The guys were even able to sneak in a cover of Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer” towards the end of the regular set. Ending their night with “Arrivals” and “Departures”, Silverstein wrapped up an epic night of music in a city known for it.