Article and Photos by: Leigh Ann Rodgers

Providence, RI – The parking lot to the Courthouse in Providence was packed with emo kids from all around New England rocking their new Friday the 13^th tattoos. Right across the street from the courthouse is the Alchemy, a tiny club that used to be Club Baby Head and The Rocket, where, 30 years ago, Nirvana and Pearl Jam played. Metro Station’s only show in New England was completely sold out.

The concert had a solid lineup. Lancifer went on at 5:30 and blew the crowd away with (literally, a fired up performance. The duo’s vibe mimicked that of BrokeNCYDE. Another One Down!, the local pop-punk band from Rhode Island, followed with a pop-rock set. This was a ground-breaking performance for the Ocean State’s pop-punk/pop-rock scene which has recently been lacking in representation. The heavier breakdowns and catchy lyrics appeal to a wide variety of listeners, making the band a perfect local fit for this tour. The melodramatic rock band from Dallas, Texas Avion Roe has a huge following in the northeast, bringing a massive crowd with them wherever they go and that was certainly no exception that night.

It was 7pm in the smallest state and as soon as Assuming We Survive took the stage, they made it feel like it was 10pm in New York City. They were the perfect wakeup call this early show needed. Adrian Estrellas’s energy was electric and never faded throughout the entirety of the set. Compared to recent years, this was the best they’ve sounded.

It was no surprise that as soon as Metro Station took the stage, the crowd went wild. This was the most anticipated set of the year here in Providence and it lived up to its expectation. Crowd-surf worthy shows in Rhode Island are rare, but Metro Station brought the energy with iconic hits like “Seventeen Forever” and “Shake It” — the crowd was throwing it back to 2007 until the end of the show.