Last week, Nothing More brought Set It Off, From Ashes to New and Post Profit to The Fillmore Silver Spring for an unforgettable night of music. Unfortunately I arrived during the 2nd to last song of openers Post Profit, but I was liking what I was able to hear from them. From Texas, they’ve got a really good live presence with some intense sounding vocals, memorable hooks that draw you right in, and I would definitely catch them again on the road.

Next was From Ashes to New; and my 2nd time photographing them this year. I was stoked to see them on this tour because they mesh well with the other 2 bands. Starting off with Nightmare, Lead singer Danny Case and founding member Matt B stepped up on the riser directly in front of me. As they began singing the chorus, smoke/fog machines on both side of that platform erupted, those 2 were jumping up & down, and the party started. Dead To Me, Monster In Me, My Name, Barely Breathing and Through It All were also on their setlist.

The guys were all over the place on stage, engaging with the crowd; Matt B would constantly stick his microphone into the crowd which the crowd had no problem with. Lance was back and forth, singing on his own and jumping around with his bass and of course he brought out his white anime mask midway through. Drummer Matty was wailing away effortlessly, and 2nd guitarist Jimmy was jamming out all over the stage as well. A seamless blend of hard rock, hip-hop, electronic and alternative with all the energy to keep you entertained from start to finish, they’re a group of humble guys that love telling their story and where they came from. Whenever they’re in town, I’ll always try to catch them.

Independent band Set It Off was next, and they absolutely blew me away. I caught wind of these guys last year, and wish I’d found them sooner. I love a lot of their songs, so to say I was excited to photograph them is an understatement. Their genre goes from American Rock, to emo and pop-punk with they have said they’d be returning to those roots on their next album. When I 1st heard them, I got a little bit of Panic! At the Disco vibes; they have unique sound that instantly drew me in with songs like Punching Bag, Why Worry, Fake Ass Friends, Creating Monsters and The Haunting which were all on their setlist that night. Their lyrics have a lot of honesty in them as they describe also in between certain songs, and it’s a great thing that fans can resonate with theirs as well as the other bands on this bill.

I really enjoyed their entire set; they’re fun. Cody’s vocals and his range are amazing; the guitar and bass riffs are fierce, and Maxx is a monster on drums; they’re just a solid band. 1 of the highlights for me was at the end during “Why Worry,” and “Punching Bag,” you could hear the crowd singing over parts of the song. Even when the music was cut off for a second for the crowd to yet again sing parts of the chorus; it gave me goosebumps in a good way. It shows how much the fans love them and their music. I’m already excited for the next show and to see what the future holds for these guys. They are currently now on their own tour with If Not For Me and From Ashes To New, The Deathless Tour Pt. 2.

Nothing More ended the party, and again I was blown away with them. I’ve been discovering a lot of new music (to me), within the last 3 years, and Nothing More was also on this list. Starting it off with “House on Sand,” “Angel Song,” and “If It Doesn’t Hurt,” frontman/former drummer Johnny Hawkins came out with black jeans, no shoes and socks, and his chest painted red and black. The energy was once again ignited, and the band hyping up the crowd instantly during “House on Sand.” They brought out frontman Matt of Post Profit which the crowd went wild for during “Don’t Stop.”

Nothing More is a mix of heavy, edgy, in your face rock filled with creative distinction and catchy hooks that keep listeners entertained and drawn in; Heavy ft. Rain Paris is a song that captures that for me. Then you have energetic and powerful songs like “This Is the Time (Ballast) that grab you and make you think all while nodding your head. Sadly I was not able to stay for the entire set, as I had an early event the next day; but I loved what I saw and heard. Every band member had so much energy that as a whole, made each set very memorable and lively for me; I wold not be upset about seeing this same lineup again in the future.

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