It’s been a brilliantly hot week in the nation, especially in parts of the west coast. We joined in the blazing triple digits on Monday evening, but still eager for the music that was offered to us. And just in time for fall to roll in, we’ve attended the perfect tour for this upcoming spooky season. Ice Nine Kills and In this Moment presented part two of their Kiss of Death tour in northern California, all in a brand new venue, as well.
New venue, you say? Sacramento fans have been craving more places to enjoy their favorite bands and we have just the place for you! The Backyard has only been around since the beginning of this year, and it’s been causing quite a stir in the music space. The latest appearance showed metal music’s finest: Ice Nine Kills with In This Moment, of course. And we cannot forget one of our favorites, Avatar, and newcomers in the scene to us, TX2.
Avatar consistently turns heads with their showmanship. When we last saw them at San Francisco’s Fillmore late last year, we were impressed by the literal magic that was shown before us. They’ve done it yet again, beginning as the lead vocalist appeared seemingly out of thin air. He paraded around a balloon, mouth wide open as the crowd hollered for more. And with a sudden pop, the balloon disappeared, but the show had only begun.
Impressive instrumentalism followed with haunting vocals. Not a soul stood still as fans of theirs appeared in clown makeup and decked out in their band merch to support them.
Of course, we can’t talk about showmanship without one of the greatest names in this little niche of metal. We had theatrics, actors, and an entire theme built around the grand finale: Ice Nine Kills. As someone who’s seen them before but never had the chance to witness up close, the action on every inch of the stage is tangible and infectious once you begin to sink your teeth in.
And it goes to show that once you start watching Ice Nine Kills you simply cannot look away. A spectacle of props decorated the stage as each band member appeared in full costume with props of their own. They ran from zombies and pulled out chainsaws and became a part of the story so quickly. No matter where on the stage you looked, you’d find a story to be told.
Were you at the show? We have some photos of the crowd; check out and see if we got a photo of you and download for free here 🙂