D.R.U.G.S at Eastside Bowl in Nashville

D.R.U.G.S.' self-titled album has been in my regular rotation since I first heard it back in 2011, so I jumped at the opportunity to finally see them live! Nashville was the last stop on their US tour, landing on a Thursday night on the edge of Music City at Eastside Bowl. The night started with a stressful moment after hearing someone at the entrance say that both the audio and lighting had been problematic all soundcheck, and they were worried about how the show was going to go. Fortunately, the first opener of the night, Nashville locals Counterfeit, quickly laid all audio concerns to rest as lead singer Elijah Ridley brought his intense vocals to the stage, with his bandmates matching the same energy.

Up next, The Requiem took the stage. This was my first time hearing their music, and they might just be the band I've been missing from my daily playlists. Their sound and Damien's vocals remind me of all the bands I love from the early 2000s! Towards the end of their set, a surprise guest, former Sharptooth singer Marissa Ward, joined them on stage to add additional vocals on one of their songs. It seemed each band continued to up the ante with energy as Downswing, a five-piece metalcore band hailing from Albany, New York, took the stage next. This group had powerful breakdowns, aggressive vocals from Harrison Seanor, and fast bass flips from Brandon Jared stage right.

Savage Hands was the last opener of the night, and their powerful stage presence hit right off the get-go. The lead vocals from Mikey G, with additional vocals from bassist Nathan O'Brien, really stood out from the evening's lineup and made me wonder how the headliner would top this set. 

While the turnout for this show wasn't filled to capacity for a Thursday night on the edge of town, you couldn't tell by the sounds of the fans in the crowd as D.R.U.G.S. took the stage! Everyone was beyond hyped as they opened the set with "Destiny" from their 2022 album. They followed with "Mr. Owl Ate My Metal Worm," and the crowd was screaming back every lyric. On "Graveyard Dancing," they were joined by Damien from The Requiem to sing vocals and direct the crowd to call back "My plague's begun!" The set also included their new single "Hunger Pangs" and my favorite angsty song "If You Think This Song Is About You, It Probably Is."

The night was closed out with "Sex Life" while they were joined by everyone from the tour to say thank you to the crowd. Their show lived up to all the songs I knew so well and had me singing lyrics back while I was shooting behind my camera. Can't wait until their next album drops so I can catch them live again.