Polaris makes a stop at The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina.
Polaris headlined The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina on September 6th and the entire show was well rounded and impressive. They brought along Nerv, Thousand Below, and Blessthefall. Traveling from Charlotte, North Carolina to Columbia—which is roughly about an hour and a half drive—to see such a stacked lineup was a no brainer.
Nerv started the night out strong with “Low”, giving the crowd a taste for their sound. Even though singer Dillon Jones announced that he was feeling a bit under the weather, he still gave an incredible vocal performance. Members Tyler Clark [drums], Scott Buchanan [guitar], and Jordan Grokett [guitar] also gave it their all and put on an incredible first set of the night, successfully warming up the crowd.
Having seen Thousand Below a few years ago, back in the fall of 2022, did not prepare me for how much this band has grown—both in their music and in their live performance. Singer James Deberg has such a strong voice that fills the entire room. His confidence has grown exponentially as well. Josh Thomas [guitar], Josh Billimoria [bass], and Max Santoro [drums] showcase their artistry alongside Deberg effortlessly. Hailing from California, Thousand Below have had a consistent touring career. They truly fit this bill so well and bring a whole lot of energy to the first half of the night. They made sure to play their two newest songs “Shake” and “Wrong Again” as well as fan favorites “Hell Finds You Everywhere” and “Sabotage”, making for a strong set.
Blessthefall have been a household name in metalcore for many years. After taking a five year break, the band came back last year with the single “Wake the Dead” and reminded everyone how prominent and unique they have always been. Their live performances have only gotten better over the years as well. The second they took to the stage, every single person in the room was off their feet—whether they were jumping along, crowdsurfing, or moshing. The band was electric, playing a wide range of their discography. Older hits such as “What’s Left of Me” and “2.0” were crowd favorites. The band also played their newest song “Drag Me Under” which has only been out for a few years but many fans impressively knew the words and sang along.
Singer, Beau Bokan, absolutely commands a crowd. It’s evident that he is a veteran in this scene as he interacts with fans every chance he gets. During “Hollow Bodies”, he jumped onto the barricade, hugging a few lucky fans in the front as he sang. Later in the set, guitarist and unclean vocalist, Jared Warth, followed Bokan’s example and relied on the crowd to keep him steady as he performed, holding out the mic for people to sing along. Bokan also made a point to shout out two young fans in the front— an eight-year-old and an eleven-year-old— and told the rest of the crowd to look out for them. He also exclaimed that metalcore is alive and well and the crowd’s love for Blessthefall is evidence of this. To finish off their set, Bokan jumped back down and high fived as many fans as he could as bubbles poured out and fell over the crowd. It felt so reminiscent of the old crowd interactions during the Warped Tour days. There was no debate that the crowd was pumped after Blessthefall’s set.
Polaris rounded out the night. Coming all the way from Sydney, Australia, the band has been making their way to the forefront of the scene for years. 2023’s Fatalism was an absolute incredible addition to their discography and arguably opened them up to a wider fanbase. This was even evident in the way concert-goers packed themselves towards the stage in anticipation as the crew set up and prepared for Polaris to take the stage.
As soon as the band started, the crowd exploded. A mosh pit formed in the middle of the crowd and arguably didn’t dissipate even once during the entire set. Their setlist for the night was a healthy mix of all three of their albums, mostly highlighting standouts and fan favorites. In attempts to excite longtime fans, singer Jamie Hails asked if anyone was still listening to the band’s 2017 album The Mortal Coil—to which the crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheer and the band jumped into “Sonder”. 2020’s The Death of Me was showcased by “All of This Is Fleeting”, “Hypermania” and personal favorite “Masochist.” Fatalism unsurprisingly featured the most songs played—as it is their newest release. “The Crossfire” started their set and ended it with “Inhumane” while also sprinkling in “All in Vain” and “Nightmare”. Overall, the band put on an impressive performance.
A true highlight of the night was an eleven-year-old who held up a sign that read “My first show ever!” Watching kids group up the same way I did— surrounded by music and others who love it just as much— is so special. Bands like Blessthefall and Polaris really carve out a space for fans of all ages.
Be sure to attend this tour if you can! Tour dates below:
08/28 Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
08/29 Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
08/30 Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium
08/31 Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
09/02 Lubbock, TX @ The Garden
09/03 Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
09/05 Athens, GA @ The Georgia Theater
09/06 Columbia, SC @ The Senate
09/07 Richmond, VA @ The National
09/08 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
09/10 Wilmington, DE @ The Queen
09/12 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
09/13 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
09/14 Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
09/16 Montreal, QC @ Mtelus
09/17 Toronto, ON @ Danforth
09/19 Pittsburgh, PA @ The Roxian
09/21 Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room @ Old National
09/22 Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
09/24 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
09/26 Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theater
09/27 Omaha, NE @ The Admiral
09/28 Davenport, IA @ Capitol Theater
09/29 Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life *
