August Burns Red, Fit For A King, Miss May I
Friday night in Ottawa got loud at the Bronson Centre. The sold out Dangerous Tour stop was highly anticipated as crowds lined up around the block to get into the pit. The lineup was stacked with four powerhouse groups — Crystal Lake, Miss May I, Fit For a King, and of course, August Burns Red.
Review
The night opened up with the Crystal Lake, a metal core band all the way from Japan. To put it simply they were absolute chaos on stage, in the best way. Jumping around, fast paced and a lot of fun. Miss May I took on the next space. Arguably the tamest of the four bands, they were still loud and in your face. Hair flips and crowd interaction is no stranger to these guys.
Fit For a King brought back some chaos with their bass player wildly flipping around his instrument, using the momentum to pick himself off the ground. A set full of jumps, climbing the drum kick to get the most height possible kept the crowd on their toes. Though no one expected the lead singer from Miss May I to join the group for the last bit only to climb onto the bass players shoulders and sing along.
Final bill for the evening was August Burns Red. It had been a while since the band made their last stop in Ottawa, so the crowds came out to fill the much larger venue. They have spent some time touring, and have been close over the last few years. Last September they were in Montreal with Parkway Drive. I had seen them once before at Rockfest and have liked them ever since.
Front man Jake — known for his intensity and ability to swing a mic (without it flying off, somehow) — commanded the crowd with his strong stage presence. Orchestrating walls of death and circle pits throughout the night, the group performed their staples throughout. Even more, the group included a quick nod to the Legend of Zelda in the encore.
Overall, it was an explosive night of metal. When these guys swing through town next, I suggest you don’t sleep on getting tickets. Get them fast before they sell out, because they will, and you’ll want to be there.
