Pierce The Veil steals the show in Indy

When Pierce the Veil and Sleeping With Sirens visited Indianapolis recently the line to get in the venue stretched all the way around the block, but fans didn’t seem to mind the wait. UK rock band Mallory Knox started things off just before 7pm while fans continued making their way into the building. Mallory Knox’s fast-paced melodic songs were an instant hit with the crowd, often sounding like a cross between Ed Sheeran on their softer songs and early Good Charlotte on their faster tracks. The Good Charlotte similarities were most apparent during “Ghost in the Mirror,” which released in August of 2014. Lead singer Mikey Chapman mentioned this was their first time touring America, and the band certainly made the most of their short time on stage, making sure to leave an impact on American rock fans. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Pierce The Veil The World Tour in Indy/Mallory Knox/\”] Synth pop-rockers PVRIS were up next. With lead singer Lyndsey Gunnulfsen’s biting vocals it’s difficult not to draw comparisons to Paramore, but the comparisons end ad Gunnulfson’s vocal approach, as the band has a sound all their own with soaring choruses chock full of shimmery synths and infectious drum beats. Despite an impressive performance by PVRIS, the energy in the crowd was pretty low during the first half of the set, prompting Gunnulfsen to prod the crowd until the energy rose. The band remained cordial, but it was clear there was some frustration behind Gunnulfsen’s jestful remarks. Fortunately her prodding paid off and by the end of the set fans were dancing and clapping along, even in the very back of the room. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Pierce The Veil The World Tour in Indy/PVRIS/\”] After a quick set change a white curtain was lowered, illuminated solely by flashing and fading spotlights that showed the band members taking their positions on stage. Although the intro was short the growing excitement and tension in the crowd seemed to slow down time, so when the curtain finally dropped the relief was palpable. Pierce The Veil played the short opening track off 2012’s Collide With The Sky, with lead singer Vic Fuentes yelling “This is the street youth rising up!” thus setting off confetti cannons that showered the entire room. In a word, Pierce the Veil’s stage show is hectic (in the best possible way.) It’s safe to say that the front line, which consists of Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Preciado, didn’t stand still for a combined total of 10 seconds during the first song. Band members were launching themselves off risers at the front of the stage before you even realized they’d hopped up on them, they were off and running to the other side. One of the highlights of their set was the fan-favorite ‘Hold On Til May’. The song has a great nostalgic vibe to it, which was only amplified as Fuentes backed off on vocals and allowed the fans to take over. Lyndsey Gunnulfsen from PVRIS came out partway through the song and covered Lindsey Stamey’s vocal part. Gunnulfsen’s vocals fit the song perfectly, adding a little more grit and power than the studio version. For their final song, Pierce the Veil welcomed out Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens to perform ‘King For A Day’. As the lights slowly panned across the crowd Quinn stepped on stage to a roar of cheers and applause. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Pierce The Veil The World Tour in Indy/Pierce The Veil/\”] Despite the obvious draw of Vic Fuentes and Kellin Quinn tag-teaming on vocals, drummer Mike Fuentes really stole the show during the final song, as his hard-hitting style was on full display. As the song came to a close Jaime Preciado and Tony Perry stood on opposite ends of the stage and tossed their instruments to one another before making their exit as confetti still rained down from above. At this point the crowd was exhausted, but they had a nearly 30-minute set change to rest up for Sleeping With Sirens. Fans shrieked and squealed with excitement as each new element of the stage production was added. Crew tested the video screens and flashed the Sleeping With Sirens logo, and the crowd went wild. After a few more minutes the lights went down and the video screens fired up a rather comical intro video, which put the band’s wacky personalities on full display. The group exploded onto the stage launching straight in to their recent track ‘Kick Me’, as a massive and bold ‘Kick Me’ banner hung at the back of the stage. Lead singer Kellin Quinn was on the floor by the end of the song, From start to finish the night was bursting at the seams with energy and melody. Given the huge overlap of fans between Pierce the Veil and Sleeping With Sirens, the co-headliner made total sense and more than gave fans their money’s worth. This second leg of The World Tour will continue on for another month here in the States before continuing on to Europe for a three week run where they’ll hit Belgium, Germany, Sweden, England, and the Netherlands. -Ashley Adcox