The night before Pop Evil took off on the Shiprocked cruise out of Miami, they brought their Rock n Roll Now Tour to Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. Badflower opened the night, touring in support of their debut album Temper. Ohio-based Red Sun Rising provided the main support for the night, also supporting their debut album, Polyester Zeal. Since we last saw Red Sun Rising their set has gotten tighter, their fan base larger, and their stage presence is bigger and better. Both opening bands for the night treated the crowd to thirty minute sets, with quick turnovers between each band.
A chainlink fence with spray painted cardboard reading “Rock n Roll” adorned the stage atop raised platforms giving it a grungy vibe. As the crowd’s anticipation rose, a masked man (who looked strikingly similar to singer Leigh Kakaty) ran over to the cardboard sign spray painting “NOW” over top. This tactic worked to get the crowd stamping their feet and clapping their hands as Pop Evil took the stage with Kakaty waving their flag high to their popular single “Trenches.” The stage remained as a giant color explosion as greens and reds splayed against the performers, with blues and pinks being drawn out for slower and softer songs.
As usual, bassist, Matt DiRito was an uncontrollable force on the stage, swinging his signature locks at every available moment and bounding from side to side. After warming up with the first few songs DiRito reminded us just how deadly he is on the bass with “Ways To Get High.” Other notable songs that had the crowd kicking and yelling along included “Deal with the Devil” and “Lux.” Before embarking on the tour, Pop Evil put out their latest (and final) single off their album Up “If Only For Now” which was a great addition to the set and well received by the fans.
Hayley Cramer continues to be an unmatched force for the drumkit on stage. Watching Cramer on stage is like watching a tornado, she is an absolute powerhouse on the drums and one of my favorite female drummers I’ve had the chance to see live. The chemistry between the band members is great to watch on stage; each member plays into each other and with the audience, creating serious synergy in their live show.
The band wrapped up the night with their hits “Footsteps” and “Take It All” both of which had the crowd shouting aloud and soaking in the last moments of the night.
Check out http://popevil.com/tour-dates/ for the closest date near you, and be sure to check out this tour!
