Concert Review: "Atreyu", "Escape the Fate" and Others at Rialto Theater in Tucson, AZ

On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, the popular metalcore band Atreyu played the historic Rialto Theater in downtown Tucson. Also on the bill for the Tuesday night show were support bands Escape The Fate, Endless Hallway and a local Tucson band called Devil's Left Shoulder.

Atreyu released their first studio album on Victory Records back in 2002, with a successful venture titled "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses". Atreyu followed up with another two albums over the next four years. Atreyu's third release, "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" sold more than half a million copies and landed the spot of number 9 album on the Billboard 200 in 2006.

Atreyu is currently comprised of singer Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer Brandon Saller. It took Atreyu a few tries to get the right fit, with several former band members moving on from the project, but the current line-up was on fire Tuesday night at the Rialto.

Before Atreyu took the Rialto stage for their head-lining set, the other bands played through, largely to the crowd's approval. The crowd cheered Devil's Left Shoulder singer, Justin, who was playing on crutches due to a broken foot. The fledgling Tucson metal-heads put Justin's mishap from the prior week aside and played hard for their first show at the Rialto Theater.

In a quick interview before Devils' set Tuesday, the band expressed having been excited to finally play the storied Rialto. The band has been together for several years, often playing shows at The Rock in Tucson. Devil's Left Shoulder has also recently recorded a three-song demo, and the band is hoping to get signed soon. (Devil's Left Shoulder is also looking for a bassist, so if you want to check out their music or offer your talents, hit them up on their Myspace page).

Following the opening act, a lighter, glam-rock band called Endless Hallway took the stage. Endless Hallway is currently on a US tour promoting their recent album release, called "Autonomy Games". Endless Hallway played an energetic thirty-minute set, and off-stage, the guys seemed very laid-back and down-to-earth.

Up next was the popular emo/screamo act, Escape The Fate, hailing from Nevada. The band began its rise when they were selected by My Chemical Romance in a contest to open for the band and Alkaline Trio on a 2005 tour.

In five short years, Escape The Fate has released two well-received two studio albums, and has gone through an array of band members. Incorporating screamo with harmony, Escape The Fate rocked the Rialto Tuesday and rocked it hard. Fans went absolutely nuts for lead singer, Craig Mabbit, as he belted out pop-punk lyrics infused with jarring, rage-filled screams. Escape played roughly a forty minute set, which included a live performance of their popular radio single, "Something".

Just before 9:30 pm, post-hardcore/metalcore headliners Atreyu took the stage, and took over the crowd. The five-man powerhouse met with roars of applause from a psyched crowd from their opening chords, to guitarist Dan Jacob's solo fretwork that closed the show.

Atreyu played their hit, "Exes & Ohs", and the energetic, counter-culture anthem, "Falling Down", which has seen steady radio play in the Tucson area and nationwide since its 2008 release. "Falling Down" is Atreyu's highest charting song to date.

Atreyu frontman, Alex Varkatzas, was a ball of energy, using every inch of the Rialto stage during his band's Tuesday night performance. Varkatzas' vocals were solid, though the sound wasn't dead on, the Atreyu singer screamed with throat-scarring tenacity over the delightful cacophony of pounding drums and electric guitar wails. Marc McKnight's powerful bass chords brought the whole thing home, sounding out with resonance. His backing vocals added welcome depth and layers to Varkatzas' scream-song melodies.

Atreyu is on tour promoting their highly-anticipated October 27th album release. The band offered fans a hell of a taste on Tuesday night, when they played "Storm To Pass" at the Tucson show. Screaming Atreyu fans chanted along with drummer Brandon Saller's and bassist Marc McKnight's backing vocals as Alex Varkatzas belted out the new lick with gusto, backed up by Travis' and Dan's quick, tight riffs on the six-strings.

The song "Storm To Pass" is Atreyu's first US single off of the upcoming album, "Congregation of the Damned", which is expected to drop 10/27/2009. Check out the new Atreyu video for "Storm To Pass" here.

The Tuesday night show at the Rialto Theater wrapped around 10:30 pm, though some members of the bands hung out near the barricades for a bit longer to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.