On May 12th, 2024- The Amity Affliction performed on their “Let The Ocean Take Me” tour celebrating the 10 year anniversary with special guests; Mugshot, Dying Wish, and Currents at the House Of Blues in North Myrtle, SC. One of the BEST tours I’ve experienced. Between the large amounts of engagement from the crowd and how friendly all the musicians were; this show is definitely in my top 5!
The Amity Affliction
Mugshot
Opening the night was a band from San Jose, California; Mugshot! I personally never listened to this band before, but I made sure I listened to some of their music on the way to the event to get myself prepared for the set! Mugshot formed in 2016 and released their first album “Dull Boy” and five years later they released “Empty Heaven” in 2021. Their recent EP “Cold Will” was released last year which the band stated that the album is about those who exploit and use their power against others. As well as depression, abuse, and trauma which I know a lot of fans can relate to sadly. Sometimes as individuals it’s hard to talk about how we feel to prevent judgment, but bands like this help those people feel more secure and they know they aren’t the only ones who may feel like this or dealt with horrible situations. I think their set was the most difficult to photograph because each member had this energy that I feel like photographs couldn’t capture which is an amazing thing.
Dying Wish
Next up was; Dying Wish! Another band I never personally listened to, so I made sure to like Mugshot; I listened to their music on the way to the venue! Just listening to them on spotify for 2 hours; they gained a fan! Dying Wish formed in 2016 in Portland, Oregon consisting of; Emma Boster (Vocals) , Sam Reynolds (Guitar) , Pedro Carrillo (Guitar) , Jeff Yambra (Drums) , and Jon Mackey (Bass). This band BLEW me away with their performance. Emma is one of the best female heavy vocalists I’ve heard. The range she has is just as good as the males in this industry and no wonder why The Amity Affliction got them on this tour! I didn’t know what songs they performed during their set because I did listen to them on the way there, but I wouldn’t know on the top of my head what songs they were performing! I was just enjoying the chaotic atmosphere that this band caused. People at the barricade were screaming along as well as assisting those who were crowd surfing and WHILE doing that; they were STILL screaming along with Emma! I would see this band again in a heartbeat because I love energy and every second during their set; it did not stop one bit!
Currents
Currents was next! I’ve been listening to currents since 2015 and being able to see them live finally after almost 10 years; you already know I was VERY excited! Currents formed in 2011 in Newtown, Connecticut by former drummer Jeff Brown and currently Currents doesn’t have any original members. The band at this moment consists of; Brian Willie (Vocals) , Chris Wiseman (Lead Guitar) , Ryan Castaldi (Rhythm Guitar) , Matt Young (Drums) , and Christian Pulgarin (Back Vocals, Bass). Throughout their set; the vocalist stated “This is the most crowd surfing we have seen on tour so far! Keep on coming!” I noticed sometimes at least 4 people were crowd surfing at once and the security guards did AMAZING making sure everyone stayed safe and got over the barricade without difficulty. When they played “Better Days”, I went insane and sang along on the sidelines because this song is one of my favorites and I was HOPING they would play it! The visuals they had on stage were very eye-catching as well which made their set more unique!
The Amity Affliction
It was finally time for one of my favorite bands to get on stage! The Amity Affliction! “Let The Ocean Take Me” released in 2014 was the album that made me fall in love with this band. I actually saw them at Vans Warped Tour in 2013 and I didn’t really listen to them at that time, but their set caught my attention because my boyfriend at the time told me “I know you love bands with really good cleans. You will LOVE this band!” And he was right. I stood right at that barricade in 100 degree weather and their whole set took my breath away. It still took me some time after that to fully listen to them, but when this album came out; I instantly knew this band would be my top favorite. Between this album and “Not Without My Ghosts”; this band has never released an album I couldn’t jam to. Now with “Not Without My Ghosts”; I relate to this album so much and since my best friend's passing; I’ve been listening to this album on repeat. The Amity Affliction formed in 2003 in Gympie, Queensland consisting of; Ahren Stringer (Co-Lead Vocals/Bass) , Joel Birch (Lead Vocals) , Dan Brown (Rhythm Guitar) , and Joe Longobardi (Drums). Finally hearing “Pittsburgh” , “Don’t Lean On Me” , “My Father’s Son” , and “The Weigh Down” flooded my whole body with emotions because these songs were the songs that helped me form into adulthood. I read that in 2013; “Pittsburgh” was written because Joel had a seizure at Vans Warped Tour by drinking too much and we all know how hot it was at this tour in the summer. Joel wrote the song based on how he was feeling in that situation and that's how the song came about! “Don’t Lean On Me” was written based on Joel's personal emotions and he would see individuals struggling with mental health in the crowd by noticing scars on their arms; So he wrote this song and I can relate to this song because when this album was released; I was struggling mentally myself cause I was going through a very abusive relationship and life seemed so unfair to me. This album really helped me fight for a while and just knowing that musicians at the time also struggled finding themselves. They had the best light production I’ve ever seen at a show and Joel is insanely talented with his vocals. I was honestly taken back at first because I was not ready for how good he was. I sung my heart out throughout their whole set and joined some individuals in the crowd arm to arm!
The whole performance that night was performed in the most beautiful and nostalgic way. I could see in the crowd that everyone was taking in all the emotions they were feeling. So much crowd surfing. So much interaction between the crowd and the musicians! It was a night to remember and If I could go to another date on this tour; I would go as an attendee to get the full effect!
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