Set It Off are proving to be road warriors in 2024. The red-hot band spent the latter parts of the summer on tour with Nothing More, Post Profit and From Ashes to New through late September as part of Nothing More’s CARNAL TOUR. After capping off that tour on September 24th in Cleveland, Ohio, the band quickly embarked on a second North American helping of The Deathless Tour Part Two.
The tour’s first iteration of The Deathless Tour ran from March 13th through Sunday April 30th of this year with special guests Crown The Empire, DeathbyRomy and Caskets wreaking havoc throughout 32 stops around North America. That run had several Long Islanders hopping on a train towards Penn Station to see them play at Irving Plaza. The second go-around flipped the script with city natives taking the train out to Wantagh’s Mulcahy’s to catch The Deathless Tour Part Two. This time around, the tour featured support once again by From Ashes To New and added New Years Day and If Not For me. The band’s New York stop was early in the original tour. This time New York would serve as the final stop on November 2, 2024.
With some quality time with family and friends on the horizon, the four bands arrived in Wantagh, ready to make their final show memorable. The fans, for their part, were ready to do the same, arriving early and in numbers. By the time opening act If Not For Me hit the stage, the venue’s dance floor and bar area were already packed to the brim with excited fans ready to let loose.
Opening act If Not For Me have been making a name for themselves this year, having toured this summer with Electric Callboy. The band joined Set It Off for this tour after a few shows with Archer and Hollowfront. While fans who caught them over the summer heard tracks off their 2022 release, Eulogy, this tour found the band showing off this year’s Everything You Wanted. The crowd’s excitement for the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based quartet left Patrick Glover (Vocals) with a smile on his face throughout the set. He, along with Hayden Calhoun (Guitar), Zac Allen (Bass), and Cody Frain (Drums), kicked it off with “Demons.” “Everything You Wanted” was an aptly named track as fans sang along with the opening act. Other tracks, including “Blameless” and “Tragedy,” continued to ignite the crowd before the band closed their set with “Feel Me Now.”
Shortly after this show, the band continued to build on their busy year by releasing a new single, “Say It To My Face,” featuring Taylor Barber of Left to Suffer. The video is absolutely worth a look on Thriller Record’s Youtube page. The momentum If Not For Me has right now is the kind most bands can only dream of and if the band can continue into 2025 burning on all cylinders, there could be even bigger things to come for them. The band has already announced their first tour of 2025 as they head out in support of Catch Your Breath, The Funeral Portrait and Archers kicking off in February.
If Not For Me
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Fans were more than ready for the next act, New Year’s Day. Ash Costello lead the way as the popular Anaheim, California based Metal group made their way to the stage. The band’s well-reviewed early 2024 release, Half Black Heart, was a triumphant way to kick off the year. Since then, the band enjoyed a tour with Lacuna Coil before hitting the festival scene over the summer. Flanked by bandmates Nikki Misery (Lead Guitar), Jeremy Valentyne (Rhythm Guitar) Brandon Wolfe (Bass) and Tommy Rockoff (Drums), Ash hit the stage with a lot of fans ready to sing along with the newly released tracks as well as some familiar favorites. New tracks “Vampyre” and “Half Black Heart” led the way before the band brought fans back to 2019 with Unbreakable’s “Come For Me” and “Shut Up” in quick succession. The band all banged their heads throughout the tracks. After “Fearless,” New Year’s Day peppered in a cover of Kehlani’s “Gangsta” before closing out with “Disgust Me” and “Hurts Like Hell.”
Ash and company had one more treat up their sleeve. As Ash admitted herself while on stage, the band doesn’t usually do meet and greets after their set but lets fans know that was their plan for the night. The band stayed by their booth for most of the rest of the night, happily chatting it up with fans, signing autographs, and taking photos. The day after the Long Island show, the band took a quick pitstop in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for a show at Lovedraft’s Brewing Company alongside LYLVC and Kvrma before taking a break. New Year’s Day are a welcome addition to any metal tour and can easily play the part of support or headliner while still being a must-see part of the show. In fact, the band is prepping to prove just that as they head into the New Year, headlining a European tour featuring Conquer Divide and Fearless Vampire Killers in support.
New Years Day
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
From Ashes to New were up next, but first fans were in for a bit of a surprise. A humorous choice to play the band out to the stage, it’d be a Backstreet Boys song that prepped fans before From Ashes to New took to the stage. You would think the crossover of fans that liked both Backstreet Boys and From Ashes to New would be rather low, but the entire venue came alive, singing along with “Everybody” as it blared through the loudspeakers. From fans to security, the absurdity of the moment was infectious. Throughout the night, fans had been proving they came to have a good time, and that silly bit proved it.
Soon, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Rap Metal group burst onto the stage, ready to join in that fun. Danny Case (Lead Vocals), Matt Brandyberry (Rap Vocals), Lance Dowdle (Lead Guitar), Mat Madiro (Drums), and touring guitarist Jimmy Bennett came to the stage to a huge ovation and blasted right into “Nightmare” before hitting fans with “Dead to Me.” The band then took a quick hiatus offstage before returning with “Heartache,” with Dowdle having changed masks. Case and Brandyberry effortlessly combined their forces and styles as they got fans moving during “Monster In Me” and “My Name” as smoke machines added to the band’s stage presence.
While the entire set had the band encouraging mosh pits and crowd surfers, they had no trouble bringing the set to a stop when they noticed a problem in the pit. Push had apparently come to shove, and between tracks, Brandyberry looked out into the crowd and said, “Yeah, I think you have to go.” pointing out an overzealous fan before security escorted them out. The band ensured fans that they were all for the mosh pits but wanted them to be a place for fans to have fun and not catch punches. The rest of the set would go without a hitch as fans and the band were quick to let the good times roll again as they played more tracks, including “Barely Breathing” and “Panic.” To close out their set, the band invited one of the show’s VIP ticket holders and presumably her father to join the band on stage for the final song. Case told the young fan it was her job to keep the fans pumped up as they played “Nothing” before sending the fan offstage with some treats, including a drumstick and guitar pick, all while throwing more of the same out into the crowd and thanking the fans for a great night.
From Ashes to New, now enjoy a short break before heading to Australia for a few shows, including three stops on the Good Things Festival, which also includes the likes of Korn, Sum 41, and Violent Femmes, among many others. The band has also been announced as one of many to take part in next year’s Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio, sharing a stage that’s set to feature the likes of Ice Nine Kills, Hollywood Undead, and Asking Alexandria.
From Ashes To New
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Set It Off was more than ready to close out the night. After the stage was quickly reset, including a set of gargoyles at each side of the stage, the band was ready to take on their headlining role. Cody Carson (Vocals), Zack Dewall (Guitar), and Maxx Danziger (Drums) were joined on stage by touring bassist Robert (Bobby) Joffred. Fans were ready to get their freaks on as the band opened up with “Parasite”. Excitement was in the air as fans sang along with “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” and “Fake Ass Friends”.
If the band was hoping for an out-of-the-ordinary way to close out their tour, they found it with the Long Island crowd. During “The Haunting”, a blowup doll that a fan had brought into the venue and had been seen throughout the night was sent crowd-surfing through the venue before Carson could get his hands on it. He kept it in hand while singing before sending it back on its way to a huge cheer from the crowd. The doll had slowly become a mascot of sorts throughout the night with each band referencing it at some point but now it was a full fledged part of the show.
The band not only gave love to the fans, but to security as well, commending them for their work catching those enjoying the surfing conditions inside Mulcahy’s. When able, Carson leaned into the photo pit to fist bump the occasional surfer while singing the tracks with them. Bandmates later switched roles. Danziger took over on vocals while Carson took a seat at the drum throne, and the band played “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” From their newest released track, the horror-infused “Creating Monsters,” to one of their oldest, “Partners in Crime,” the set continued until the band closed off their main set with “Why Worry.”
The loud chants by the fans of “One! More! Song!” couldn’t be ignored, and the band made their way back onto the stage to play “Punching Bag”. From opening act to headliner, the theme of the night was going out with a bang. Each band encouraged fans to make the last stop on the tour the best and the Long Island crowd may very well have lived up to the lofty goal set for them. Set It Off capped off that theme with a salute to the crowd and a humbling thank you before the house lights came on to mark the end of the night.
Set It Off have been clearly enjoying their newfound freedom as an independent act. The band has been on an absolute roll. Much like From Ashes to New, the band is taking a couple of weeks off before heading over to Australia. Set It Off is set for a few shows with Chez, and Friends of Friends before heading onto a European tour with special guests Point North that will conclude on March 1st. If their last stop on the Deathless Tour Part II is anything to go by, fans overseas will be in for an amazing night of non-stop fun.
Set It off
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
