In September of last year, just before the Omicron variant shut down live music (again), I saw Knocked Loose for the first time. They were a band I'd gotten really into during the pandemic, and I'd made the assertion that I'd be attending the next show they played near me, no matter what. Sure enough, their comeback tour found a landing spot in New Jersey, at Asbury Park's hidden gem of a venue the House of Independents. I wrote about my experience at that wonderfully chaotic show, and knew that I'd added another band to my list of bands that I can't miss if they're playing in New Jersey.
Shortly after that night in September of 2021, that tour ended, and a new era of Knocked Loose was ushered in. The band released A Tear in the Fabric of Life, a concept EP with an accompanying animated film, and began one of the most drastic ascents in recent memory. The band played a set on the Twitch stream of none other than Rolling Strone, and cemented themselves as perhaps the new torchbearers in hardcore. Oh yeah, and they're going to be the direct support to Bring Me the Horizon's arena tour, which was announced just after this tour ended. Things are moving very quickly for Knocked Loose, and as I watched their most recent New Jersey set-- this time in a sold-out Starland Ballroom-- it's quite obvious they deserve it.
One of the coolest parts of the Knocked Loose tour I saw in 2021 was the structure of the tour package. The crowd was treated to two bands, Kharma and Magnitude, who were up-and-coming hardcore acts, and then the band branched out and brought black metal's own rising stars Gatecreeper out to keep things fresh. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it, and by the time Knocked Loose got onstage, they were ready to explode. It seems like Knocked Loose found a formula that works, as the A Tear in the Fabric of Life Tour had a very similar feel to it. The night started with Koyo, who recently joined the night's headliner on Pure Noise Records. The band's energetic hardcore got the night off to a great start, and the crowd assembled before Koyo began playing was a sign that there was a considerable amount of excitement to see each band on the bill.
If Koyo's set was an energy drink to start the show, Kublai Khan's felt more like an ill-advised Four Loko before you go to a frat party. Bombastic, loud, and emboldened, the band tore through a thirty minute set that featured some of the biggest and most aggressive mosh pits I've ever seen for a non-headlining band. I was also a big fan of the neon lights with the band's logo that adorned each side of the stage. Perhaps the best compliment I can give, however, is this: the four-piece's sound is so big, you have a difficult time understanding how only four people can produce that much energy and sound. I went into the night knowing very little about Kublai Khan and Koyo that evening, but their sets at Starland have placed both bands firmly on my radar.
Much like Gatecreeper's presence on the Fall 2021 tour was a little out of left field, Knocked Loose went outside their genre to pluck emo titans Movements for direct support this time around. While this choice feels even more removed from what one might expect from a hardcore show, a deep dive into either band's social media will show that these are two bands that have a great respect and relationship with one another. This was something that Movements vocalist Patrick Miranda acknowledged onstage, stating that the bands spoke often of touring together, and that they were ecstatic to finally be able to make that happen. Kudos to the band for finding a way, because Movements' presence on this tour was a great palette cleanser. After Koyo kicked things off, Kublai Khan had the crowd in such a frenzy that Starland was ready to explode. Thanks to the moody emo anthems Movements were able to provide, the crowd focused more on singing along than thrashing about, a moment to rest up before the main event. There's a list of songs that it seems like crowds just sing louder than any others, and "Daylily" has earned its place on that list.
Boasting video boards that flashed visuals from its accompanying short file, Knocked Loose's set featured the band sprinkling all of the tracks from A Tear in the Fabric of Life throughout, which was a creative way to show the crowd how the new tracks would fit in with the band's older material. Knocked Loose's live set is one of pure emotion and energy, whether it's Bryan Garris bounding across stage throughout the set, Isaac Hale's calls for the crowd to kick it up a notch (which always get answered), Nicko Calderon thrashing his guitar around, or any time the strobe lights hit at the perfect time. The band already sound pitch-perfect compared to their recordings, and now, with the implementation of their visuals on this tour, they're showing that can add whatever they want to their live shows, and it'll likely improve the experience. The band's work ethic appears to be top-notch, and when you couple that with the creative risks they're willing to take, and then throw in their immense talent, and it's easy to see why this band is taking off the way that it has. They went from selling out a 500-cap venue in Asbury to selling out New Jersey's biggest indoor venue, and somehow, it feels like Knocked Loose is only getting started.
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