Never have I seen a line SO LONG and I’ve been to Anime Conventions.
In short – it’s Bad Omens.
What was once an opening act, grateful for every fan that knew a word or two to their newest tracks, has quickly swarmed into a cult-like phenomenon.
With their Concrete Forever tour selling out almost instantly, I was lucky in having someone (my sister) with priority access to snag the presale code and nail me down a ticket.
It’s a long way from the “Artificial Suicide” music video I was asked to review way back when. But not so far from TDOPOM as a full release.
Nevertheless, a band of us had made plans to attend, and though accessing the parking lot was easy, we were absolutely blown away by the sheer number of attendees ready to go an hour before doors opened.
People wait out the openers. People only see who they wanna see, but this was DIFFERENT.
Remember how I said I’ve attended Anime Conventions? Similarly, car after car rolled down the tiny lane of Polson street, turning at some pre-set pylons and dropping off fans in heaps to join the line that had stretched far beyond any Rebel concert I’ve attended in the past.
Stretching beyond the parking entrance, to the traffic lights, and beginning to wrap the corner, we began to wonder “would we even get in?“
We danced around as doors opened, watching the endless stream of fans headed inside. It was a variety of attendees from what we witnessed. Flannel shirts and skinny jeans. Battle vests and kilts. Hoodies and sweats. Parents attended with their kids. Friends with friends. Couples. Singles. It was such a varying crowd that I couldn’t immediately pinpoint whether there were fans of the openers or not.
And so we begin…
At the halfway mark, I spotted my friend’s car and a line that had finally come to an ending point. Snagging some extra ear plugs from Miles’ preparations at his ride (bless) we hopped in line and headed inside.
Security was a breeze, which was a surprise for Rebel considering they can be difficult. The Merch line was wrapped around the back bar, and I was shocked to see how absolutely packed the venue was already.
Yes yes the line and all that, but seeing that many people camping out a spot for openers just to be that much closer to Bad Omens was wild.
A few of us parked ourselves near the rear bar, close to the washrooms, drinks, and the stairs for a viewpoint. And I’ll also note that the acoustics inside Rebel’s bathrooms? Chef’s kiss. Amazing.
I See Stars took the stage shortly after people settled in. I didn’t know what to expect from this band nor had I heard them before but they seemed to have garnered enough of a fanbase to have folks singing along a few times. I wasn’t sure if it was our position or tech but the sound just didn’t mesh. It was light, airy, and almost whimsical in performance and soundscape. Not my cup of tea, but I could see how fans would quickly swoon over them.
I was, however, keen to check out ERRA. With tracks hunkered down in my day-to-day playlist like “Gungrave” and “Stockholm Syndrome“, they were something I’d more recently gotten into and I was stoked to see how they performed live.
Once again, sound seemed to be off. I pulled out my ear plugs to be sure and it was the same. I was sure it had to be tech at this point, as everything just didn’t seem to line up. ERRA went through signature hits, including my favourites, bouncing from tender vocal verses to absolute bombshell drops that were hard not to enjoy. Though I couldn’t see too much detail from our spot in the crowd, I did see their dedication in belting out an entertaining show that kept hands in the air and eyes on them.
The main event –
Tension was HIGH. And I mean jaw-droppingly high. As few fans dispersed for drinks and bathroom breaks, the anticipation for Bad Omens‘ arrival had the air inside the venue absolutely buzzing.
In a moment of truth, the countdown was on and fans screamed their lungs out in excitement as one of my favourites, “Artificial Suicide” opened the night. The mix of heaviness and near whispered verses was as enticing live as it is recorded. With a back screen of blistering visuals and flickering lights, the stage was set and the vibe was now absolute madness.
“Like A Villain” followed, calming the calamity, if only momentarily as the crowd sang along, pausing only to hear Noah Sebastian’s vocal prowess execute tender verses before dropping into emotional call outs. The night began to blur as the crowd raged and the atmosphere became more and more weighted by fans’ sheer excitement in the moment. From “The Grey” to “Never Know” and “Glass Houses“, the band moved seamlessly through popular tracks and fan favourites, matching note for note in sound, and stride for stride in passion.
From the pit to the barricade, all seemed to go smoothly as we were serenaded through “what do you want from me?” and “bad decisions” to the enigmatic “Nowhere To Go” and “IDWT$” before hammering into “Broken Youth“.
With a break in the merger, I also need to reiterate the importance of HYDRATION before and during a concert. Bad Omens, mid-song, had to pause and send in security as a fan passed out in the pit. Between sheer exhaustion and a lack of water, I’ve seen this happening at more and more shows not simply from the weather or packed venue, but from fans neglecting their water intake. It’s not worth the lack of pee breaks, trust me, DRINK WATER. AND PLEASE HYDRATE.
Nearing the end we got “Limits” which once again got the crowd riled up before winding into “Take Me First” and the ever-popular “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND“. Naturally their blow-up song was set to down the curtain as “Just Pretend” echoed out and the crowd replied singing along word for word.
Fans, already in an uproar from the night’s myriad of ecstacy and intimacy, awaited the true finale. The end to all ends that meant it was all over but not before “CONCRETE JUNGLE” gathered the masses once more. The howls and chants rang out, energy still at an all time high as the finale came with “Dethrone“.
The moment the song began, the very first note – it was something I hadn’t felt since my big name country concert back in 2014. The venue shook as bodies vibrated to the heaviness that “Dethrone” brought to the room. From the moshpit to the bars, head-banging, bouncing, jumping, and all manner of movement had erupted from even the most leisure concert goers, erupting in a cacophony of chaos.
With Noah’s signature vocal sound from TDOPOM returning to its origins with maddening power and its demonic growls, some fans were shocked and others unshakably grateful.
It was a memorable concert for 2023, not simply for the music, but for the crowd itself in attendance and the passion I witnessed from a fanbase that has sprung up as if from thin air. You can catch Bad Omens on a few more tour dates here in North America before they head to Europe for their Concrete Forever tour continuation in 2024. If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, pray those resale fees aren’t going to bite you too hard.
You can look for (potential) tickets via their website – Bad Omens. And if you haven’t already, stay up-to-date on merch drops, news, and concert announcements via their socials like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
ERRA: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
I See Stars: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
Valkyrjian 