11/09/2019
Atreyu @ Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

When this show popped up I geeked out so hard. Atreyu are one of those bands that I have listened to weekly for years. I enjoy this band so much that I would drag my friends who don’t enjoy this type of music along to their shows. This being the 20 year anniversary tour you knew they were going to pull out all of the stops. They did just that starting with a poll about which songs should they play. Allowing fans to pick their favorites on their website. It is always appreciated when artists are so open to sharing the shows entire experience with those simply clicking a button on a web page. 

The show itself was fantastic. Atreyu was filled up with so much energy. They let loose in ways I haven’t seen out of them in a long time.  Several antics included jumping off of elevated drum risers, crowd surfing from the back of the room, sitting up in the balcony and playing next to fans in the seats and leaning into the photo pit and playing. There was so much going on it was almost hard to keep up. The stage lighting was intense. There were sizable panels on each side of the drum riser. The drum riser was center stage with two sets of stairs on each side. Both sets of stairs had a small platform in the middle separating them. 

The evening was a grand spectacle of headbanging and metal riffs. There were 3 songs that stood out above the rest. 
1.) Right Side of The Bed - The explosion of screams and the shaking of the floor made this song the undisputed number one pick on the night. Vocalist, Alex, was out front on top of a metal stand. He was letting everyone feel his presence by screaming at every into the microphone fiercely at every turn. Drummer Brandon Saller sang at the top of his lungs while pounding his kit high up on the riser. I caught myself head bobbing while moving side to side in the photo pit. The song really had me jacked up.

2.) Five Vicodin With a Chase of Clarity - Personally, anything off of the “Suicide Notes” album would be sweet perfection. This song always bring the room to a full on mosh. That is exactly what happened. A giant circle pit opened up in the middle of the room. I watched from the balcony. Musically, it was done to perfection. It seemed to be even heavier and a step faster than the previous times I have seen them play it.

3.) The Crimson - I could probably make a very good case for this song being an all-time goth anthem. Every single time I have seen this played it has turned into the biggest sing-a-long ever. Atreyu clearly know this. Dan Jacobs, Marc McKnight and Alex Varkatzas literally stand with their toes gripping the edge of the stage and engage with the crowd. They allow the crowd to sing for them. One reason this will always be amongst the greatest Atreyu tunes.

It is easy to say Atreyu give performances that are always for the masses. They truly are a band that cannot be missed. They have perfected their craft over the last 20 years. I know I will keep attending when they come around.

Set List:
The Time is Now
Right Side of The Bed
Ain’t Love Grand
Doomsday
My Fork in The Road
Ex’s and Oh’s
Our Sick Story 
The Theft
Blood Children
Bleeding Mascara
Demonology and Heartache
The Crimson
Her Portrait
Bleeding is a Luxury
House of Gold
Becoming The Bull
Falling Down
Blow
Five Vicodin Chase with a Shot of Clarity
Untitled Finale
Lip Gloss and Black