Eyes Set to Kill and Falling in Reverse Rock Vaudeville Mews

by Reggie Edwards The latest tour from Eyes Set to Kill and Falling in Reverse made a stop in Des Moines, Iowa in October and even though the sound quality was a dismal, the show was one of the better small venue shows I have been to. After a local band played a set, as they usually do at a small venue show, and a very impressive opening set from For All Those Sleeping, who is also on the tour, Eyes Set to Kill took the stage, who a lot of people came to see. They definitely did not disappoint. They played a great mixture of songs from their older releases and their new album, White Lotus. Even though we had to watch the show from the balcony, their set was great. Second on the setlist was their classic fan favorite, “Darling,” which the crowd loved, as singing erupted throughout the Vaudeville Mews venue. They also played “Violent Kiss,” off their Reach album as well as “The Secrets Between,” from White Lotus. The crowd, though singing along to virtually every song during the set, seemed hesitant to get involved as they just kinda stood around instead of moving, which lead vocalist Alexia Rodriguez noticed, telling them she was having trouble being able to tell how many of them actually loved the band. I think she was frustrated because the sound quality of Vaudeville Mews took a lot away from the show, because it was really hard to hear her vocals, which is disappointing because they are amazing. I can’t say I blame her for being frustrated. Still, though, they played on and put on one heck of a show. After Eyes Set to Kill wrapped up, Falling in Reverse fans, immediately began chanting “We want Ronnie,” indicating they wanted to see lead vocalist Ronnie Radke, who left Escape the Fate to form the band. They also began chanting “F**k Craig Mabbitt,” new Escape the Fate vocalist. I can understand their excitement to see the guy who formerly fronted a band that just started getting big, but I couldn’t help but feel like they were being a little rude to Eyes Set to Kill and a little annoyed that they couldn’t even wait for Eyes Set to Kill to get off stage. Bad move, Falling in Reverse fans, low blow. Especially since Escape the Fate kicked Radke out of the band after he got arrested for being involved in a shooting that resulted in a death. Sorry guys, Escape the Fate wasn’t wrong. However, despite their fans, Falling in Reverse lived up to the hype and put on a really good show. They sounded really good, playing pretty much every song from their debut album and working the crowd like a puppet, and interacting on a very good and personal level. Even Radke had something to say about the bad sound quality of the venue, saying “Man, this sound sucks, doesn’t it?” All this being said, for a small venue and one that was having a bad night on the sound quality side, the sold out show was definitely worth the trip and worth the money for those who came out for the show. Fans of each band got their money’s worth and went home happy, which is all that matters in the end. If you are in a city that is a scheduled stop for this tour, you would be missing out if you didn’t check it out, especially if you are a fan of Eyes Set to Kill, as they put on the best show on the bill.