Crown The Empire South Side Music Hall 07/02/22
Photos and words by Jose Serrato
Crown The Empire came back home to Dallas to start closing out their “The Fallout 10 Year Anniversary Tour” at South Side Music Hall. Walking up the the venue slightly before doors opening, I saw a long line of fans patiently waiting in the Texas heat until they were able to enter and run to the front of the stage. And yes, they did run towards the stage to get the closest spot possible. Energy was high hours before CTE were set to hit the stage and was only intensified a few notches after every opening band. Along with D.R.U.G.S., The Word Alive, Until I Wake and Saints Can Lie, CTE and company had the crowd moving throughout the night. Bassist Hayden Tree riled up the crowd by jokingly accusing them of not having enough energy and looking sleepy. To which the crowd appropriately replied with a roar. “It’s Saturday night in Dallas. You got nothing to lose. Give me everything you got,” said lead vocalist Andy Leo. As if the crowd needed any reason to get even more pumped up, they definitely took it to another level after that statement. “Our parents are here. Make us look cool,” Leo later added. Noticing a big disco ball hanging in the rafters at the center of South Side Music Hall, Leo demanded to have it turned on during the next song. Now we have a shining disco ball spinning above us with a mosh put underneath it. That may have been a first for me to see. Maybe it was the spinning ball that inspired Leo to get the crowd to start a circle pit around the soundboard. I am standing in the eye of the pit as I see fans running at full speed around us. Can CTE get the crowd to take it up another notch? How about a wall of death? If you are unaware of what the wall of death is, it is when the crowd splits in half and waits for a cue from the band to crash into each other and turn into a huge mosh pit. It happened and I have the video to prove it. As the tour name states, this is the 10 year anniversary of CTE’s album The Fallout. The first album the band released after being signed to Rise Records. Every track of the album was played along with a few from other albums. A total of 16 song setlist that ended with the popular track “Johnny’s Revenge” which had D.R.U.G.S. lead singer Craig Owens come out to join in the vocals. Owens is also featured in the reimagining of the track that came out just a couple weeks ago. SETLIST: The Fallout Two’s Too Many Menace In Another Life Memories Of A Broken Heart Graveward Souls Evidence Blurry What I Am Children of Love The One You Feed Machines Dancing With The Dead Makeshift Chemistry Oh, Catastrophe Johnny’s Revenge “
