Christmas Burns Red | Day 2
The second night of the Christmas Burns Red festival took place in Lancaster, PA at Freedom Hall on December 14th. If Not For Me, Gideon, Boundaries, Orthodox, and The Ghost Inside celebrated August Burns Red's 15th anniversary of their album, Constellations.
Kicking off the night was If Not For Me. The crowd cheered with excitement as the band played the fan-favorite “Demons.” The band's charisma energized the audience, prompting them to start moshing. When they performed “Say It to My Face,” the crowd sang along with the vocalist, setting a vibrant tone for the evening.
Orthodox took the stage next, ready to keep the momentum going. The moment the first note of “The Other Side of the Nail” rang out, the pit erupted with spin kicks and intense moshing. Vocalist Adam urged the crowd to move, and they responded enthusiastically. They played fan-favorites like “Cave In” and “Become Divide,” maintaining an unmatched energy. The set concluded with “The Anticipation,” leaving everyone in the room still moving.
Following Orthodox, Boundaries took over. They opened their set with “Turning Hate Into Rage,” prompting the crowd to form a full-circle pit. The audience sang along passionately during “My Body is a Cage.” Demonstrating their fierce energy, they performed “Is Survived By,” and during “A Pale Light Lighters,” Adam from Orthodox joined in for vocals. They wrapped up their set with “I’d Rather Not Say” and “Easily Erased.”
As the lights dimmed, Gideon stepped on stage. Vocalist Dan called for the crowd to move before launching into “Bite Down.” The band quickly played one song after another, and every time Dan urged the crowd to get moving, they moshed even harder. Their set included “Locked Out,” “More Power. More Pain.,” and “No One/No Love.”
The Ghost Inside then took the stage, kicking off their set with “Death Grip.” The room filled with heavy riffs as crowd surfers made their way to the front. They continued with “The Great Unknown,” featuring JT from Erra on guest vocals. Vocalist Jonathan energized the crowd by asking if they wanted to hear some older songs, to which they erupted in excitement. They played “Dear Youth (Day 52),” “Avalanche,” and “Mercy.” The crowd surfing increased as they began their last song, “Engine 45,” leading to a big pit where everyone moshed together. The smiles on the band's faces reflected the joy of the crowd as they sang the lyrics until the very end.
Finally, it was time for August Burns Red. They opened with “Thirty and Seven,” during which a burst of confetti shot into the air, sending the crowd into a frenzy of excitement and movement. The band continued with “Oceans of Apathy” and “White Washed.” They slowed things down with the beginning of “Marianas Trench,” creating an enchanting atmosphere as the audience lit up the room with their cell phones. The band performed several songs from Constellations, delivering powerful riffs and harmonized vocals. After finishing their set, they returned for an encore. One of the members came out in a festive light-up Christmas sweater, starting a rendition of “Carol of the Bells.” They concluded the night with “Winter Wilderness” and “Composure.
