I can honestly say that this was the best concert that I have been to, and that is a real compliment considering that I have been to many concerts and also considering the fact that the only band that I knew previously was Escape the Fate and I was not much a fan of heavy metal. Boy did this concert change my mind!
To start with, the lineup was great. Secrets did a great job of getting the crowd hyped up! After that, Mest changed the mood a bit, with their softer music which provided a break from the heavier music of Secrets. Then The Word Alive brought the concert's excitement level way up higher with their heavier music, which did a good job of leading into the heavy music of Attack Attack!. Finally, Escape the Fate came on with a great entrance! Their delay in coming out really built the suspense of the crowd with the flashing red lights and the music that was playing as the crowd waited. Their set, although softer than that of Attack Attack!, packed just as much power as the other sets!
Which brings me to something else that I really liked: each band was amazing! There was not one band that I was disappointed in and I found this to be very pleasing. Usually, there is at least that one band that isn't quite up to par with the others that leaves you thinking, "Oh my gosh, when are they going to finish so the band that I want to see can come on?" However, this did not happen. Even though I was not familiar with anything except for Issues, Ashley, and The Flood by Escape the Fate, I was able to dance along to the music as well as those that knew all the songs which was awesome! A lot of times when one isn't familiar with the music being played, they feel sort of lost and I did not feel like that even once during the concert.
Something that I really liked as well was the trust that the band members had for us fans. They were not afraid to come right into the crowd and let their fans put their hands all over them and they were also not afraid to just hang around the lobby as everyone was either filing out or buying merchandise. I think it's really great because it puts us all on the same level in a way. It shows that they don't think they are better than us. (Hard to explain, but I think you get my point.)
I think it was great that Attack Attack! and Escape the Fate included old and new songs in their sets, although I believe Escape the Fate's set could have been longer, especially considering how long Attack Attack!'s set was. I loved the speech given by Attack Attack!'s lead vocalist. I think it's safe to say that everyone was touched by that speech. I found myself really paying attention while he was talking. However, at a certain point, it became a little repetitive and lengthy. Great message nonetheless though. A message that really inspired me. For those of you that were not there, his "speech" was about not listening when people tell you that you can't do something. "Instead, go out into the world and do exactly what they said you couldn't do," was his advice. I think it was definitely a good piece of advice and definitely a good thing to talk about. It was something that I know everyone was able to relate to.
As far as the crowd goes, the atmosphere was great. I found most everyone in the crowd to be very friendly. This is the first concert I've been to where people are expected to crowd surf and even told by the performers to crowd surf. Definitely a great and fun experience. I could do without the circle pits and moshing, but it was very interesting to watch nonetheless (from far away of course).
To conclude, I was beyond delighted with the outcome of the show. It was worth the wait in the rain! The energy of the concert exceeded greatly that of most other concerts I've been to. How ironic that the concert with heavy metal ended up being the one I like the most out of all the concerts I've been to so far.