“The Truth Tour”: Nothing More with Of Mice and Men, Palisades, and BadFlower

How did Nothing More get here? It seems like yesterday that we were interviewing lead singer Jonny Hawkins in a run down RV parked in front of The Altar Bar. Since those few years ago Nothing More has been tearing up the road and outperforming a bunch of headliners they opened for and thus they are now the headliners of “The Truth Tour”, stopping in Pittsburgh last Thursday. And they bring amazing company with them including Of Mice and Men, Palisades, and BadFlower, all great bands in their own right.

Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Nothing More is known for their radio-heavy tracks that continue to top the Billboard charts. After the success of hits like “This Is The Time (Ballast),” “Mr. MTV” and“Jenny,” all of which hit within the top 15 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, Nothing More has another successful output with their latest album The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The first single “Go To War” hit #1 on Rock Radio and got the attention of The Recording Academy, followed by “Just Say When” and now “Let ‘Em Burn.” In addition to thoughtful, poetic lyrics, Nothing More is also regarded for their incredible live show full of frenetic energy and featuring a massive stage prop called the Scorpion Tail. This 400-pound, 14-foot tall Mad Max-like animated structure was built by bassist Daniel Oliver from scrap metal and salvaged auto and motorcycle parts. Vocalist Jonny Hawkins rides the contraption onstage while simultaneously creating digital electronic effects for the songs.

If you missed them opening for Five Finger Death Punch, along with Breaking Benjamin and Bad Wolves this past summer, well you missed a lot. Last Thursday at Stage AE you missed even more. There is a reason Nothing More has risen up the ranks so quickly…it’s called relentless touring and showmanship. The other factor is of course the music which is definitely a genre bending mix of various metal and rock styles rolled into one.

The frenetic front man Hawkins is a blur of energy and commands the crowd like a seasoned pro. Hawkins has great vocal range and his surfer body is sure to please many eyes, but he has musical chops as well. He was actually the orginal drummer of the band and does some pretty cool stuff along with drummer Ben Anderson ( a bit reminiscent of what Godsmack does). The entire set was a roller coaster ride of emotion, from the intensity of “Christ Copyright” to the mind tingling new single, “Let Em’ Burn”. Nothing More has taken on the controversial politically charged topic of gun control and mass shootings. (Set list below)

“Hundreds of people have been killed in mass shootings over the past several years. Almost everyone has chosen the red team or the blue team and we’re stuck in this mode where we fight over political problems instead of human solutions. More guns or less guns isn’t the question. The real question is, why are we killing each other?— Nothing More

Check the video out HERE.

Bad Flower, Palisades, and Of Mice and Men opened the show providing an all-star line-up and an amazing show.