Article and Photos by: Andrea Chvatal

Atlanta, GA – Neck Deep and friends made a stop at Center Stage on their The Peace and The Panic tour.

To kick off the festivities, Speak Low If You Speak Love brought their contrasting indie rock vibes mixed with catchy “pop” lyrics to get the crowd moving and singing along. This slightly less known rock band form Michigan played many songs from their recently released album Nearsighted, as well as fan favorites such as “Knots”. Their acoustic base, deep lyrical content, and hauntingly raspy vocals brought each audience member on an emotional journey to begin their evening.

Following was an up and coming and fellow UK band, Creeper. This truly punk band brings emotion, high energy, and a theatrical performance to the entire stage. As their fans were crowd surfing in hopes to get a mic grab to their favorite song, this fueled band did not let up their entire set. To express their appreciation and wrap up their set, Creeper dedicated their most popular song, “Misery”, to this evenings headliner.

The final opener was Seaway, a Canadian pop-punk band that has been growing with popularity in the states this past year with their latest album release Vacation. Their Hawaiian styled shirts, smooth and clear vocals, and heart felt lyrics continued to pump up the crowd as you could not help but sing along and tap your toes to songs such as “Something Wonderful” and “Apartment.”

Then our headliner for the evening, Neck Deep, took over the stage! This UK based pop-punk band has been changing the genre’s standards the last six years with their real and raw lyrics and performances. The entire venue shook as the crowd jammed to old classics such as “What Did You Expect?” and “Gold Steps,” as well as many from their latest release, The Peace and The Panic. They brought an emotional performance for their debut song and one of this author’s personal favorites, “In Bloom”, from their latest release. A few songs into their set, vocalist Ben Barlow noticed two young kids struggling to stay above the barricade to watch the show at the edge of the stage. Barlow pulled them on stage and offered a spot side-stage to watch the rest of the performance (with their parents permission, of course). This unique venue had a great seat for everyone in the audience, and Neck Deep’s performance left no one in attendance disappointed. It was a night filled with great music, high spirits, and sincere moments.