Christmas Burns Red | Day 1
It’s that time of year when the city of Lancaster, PA, hosts the 5th annual "Christmas Burns Red" at Freedom Hall on December 13th. August Burns Red celebrated 15 years of their album Constellations, with support from Hillhaven, Erra, The Devil Wears Prada, Deadlands, and Bodysnatcher.
Hillhaven kicked off the show with their live debut as a band, bringing an incredible amount of energy. They took the stage and immediately played "The God You Think You Are," which excited the crowd and opened up the pit. They continued their set with "Gaps" and "Sycophants."
Next up was Deadlands, who wasted no time diving into their first song, "Villain." The crowd quickly formed a full-circle pit, matching the band's energetic performance with headbanging and stomping. During "Final Judgement," the band instructed the crowd to split down the middle and, on the count of three, run from side to side—a chaotic sight to behold. They closed their set with "House of Cards," during which vocalist Kasey showcased his ability to switch between harsh screams and clean vocals.
When Bodysnatcher took the stage, the crowd cheered loudly. They kicked things off with the classic fan favorite "King of Rats," which energized the audience, prompting spin kicks and flying arms. Vocalist Kyle looked out at the crowd with a huge smile as they continued their set, ending with "Twelve/Seventeen" and "Murder8."
The lights dimmed, and Erra took the stage. From the first note of "Cure," the crowd was captivated. Vocalists Jt and Jesse took turns delivering vocals, engaging the audience as they performed a set filled with delicate riffs and beautiful melodies. The synergy between the crowd and the band was palpable as they wrapped up with "Snowblood."
As Slipknot's "Chop Suey!" began to play, August Burns Red walked on stage and performed the rest of the song. When the first note of "Eleventh Hour" hit, a burst of pyro lit up the stage, and the crowd erupted with excitement, with numerous bodies crowd surfing to the front. At the end of "Beauty in Tragedy," vocalist Jake dedicated the song to anyone who had lost someone dear. They continued with a Christmas instrumental rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," followed by fan favorites "Truth of a Liar" and "Invisible Enemy." Before finishing their set with "Ghosts," Jake encouraged the crowd to create the biggest wall of death of the night. Confetti filled the air, adding to the atmosphere.
The band returned to the stage for an encore, performing their famous Christmas song "Carol of the Bells," featuring guitarist David dressed as Santa Claus. The crowd went wild as Jake threw a large present into the audience. They concluded with "White Washed," asking the crowd to kneel until the vocals kicked in, after which the audience started moshing and crowd surfing until the very end of the night.
