Everyone had that moment when they fell in love with a band and wanted to see them every time they came to town. I’ve had that too, multiple times. When I saw the announcement of Pop Evil’s Flesh & Bone Tour was coming to House of Blues Orlando, I had to be there. And fortunately, for me, I was there! Along with the band was Florida’s own Fame on Fire and LYLVC. I almost didn’t make the show due to work, but thanks to House of Blues Orlando’s staff for being very expedient in ensuring I got my bags checked and got me inside before the show start. I didn’t want to miss a moment of it because I knew this was going to be a very fun show and it went beyond my expectations.
It was a large crowd at House of Blues Orlando waiting for the show to start. LYLVC (pronounced “lilac”) was first to the stage. The band from Raleigh, NC has the buzz going in their favor on the music scene. Their mix of hard rock, hip hop, electronic, and alternative has definitely gotten their name recognized. They released in March 2022 their first EP titled Perfect Drug and they have shared the stage with New Years Day, From Ashes To New, Fire From The Gods, and many more. The band consists of Alyse Zavala (melodic vocals), Oscar Romero (rap vocals), Cameron Gillette (keyboard, rhythm guitar), Seth Morgan (lead guitar), Kenneth Kaval (bass), Ryan Powell (drums).
I heard great things about LYLVC. So when I heard they were supporting this tour I was very excited to see them. They were absolutely worth it. As a photographer and reviewer, I want to see a band that has energy, and motion, engages the crowd, and has great music. Bonus points if the band engages me while I am photographing them because those photos are always fun. LYLVC had this and so much more to give. Ryan is a great drummer and stays focused on his bandmates to ensure they’re all keeping in sync. He also looks like he’s having fun behind the kit and can’t wait to drop the hammer down for the heavier notes. Cameron is a multi-talented musician playing two instruments during their performance. He’s also very animated during his performances, which I love. When he plays either instrument, he loses himself in the moment while also playing up to the crowd. I did laugh the moment he kicked over his keyboard at the end of his set. It was one of those, “Because I can” moments. Seth is a killer guitar player who delivers such melodic sounds. What surprises me is that he keeps so cool during his performance while the rest of the band is running amuck on stage. Kenneth is a wild man on stage. His bass playing is awesome (nothing like hearing that thumping bass chord through your chest at a live show) and he’s so energetic and animated. And last, definitely not least, Oscar and Alyse. Oscar’s hip-hop-style singing is a beautiful blend of Alyse’s melodic vocals. They constantly play off each other on stage and the dynamic between them works well. And both play up to the crowd all the time.
LYLVC’s music is just as good as the member’s stage performances. The hard-hitting songs will get you moving, headbanging, and moshing. “Undertow” while a softer tone song is catchy and will drive you to sing along with them. This is one of my favorites for Alyse’s vocals and she delivers it so beautifully. “Perfect Drug” delivers a harder rock vibe and well-crafted melodies. Oscar and Alyse nail down the vocals on this one and it truly has that Linkin Park-style song. They wrapped up the night with “Into Nothing”, I highly recommend checking out the video for that one. Awesome song. Overall, LYLVC absolutely kicked off the night with such energy and that was just the start of the show! My only regret was not getting the opportunity to meet them. Keep your eyes out on this band. Check out their music and merch over at https://lylvc.com/.
Florida’s own Fame on Fire was next to the stage. The band from Palm Bay started out in 2013 primarily performing cover songs. In 2017, they released an EP titled Transitions of all original songs. In 2020, they released their first studio album Levels. Their second studio album Welcome to the Chaos was released in 2022. Fame on Fire consists of Bryan Kuznitz (vocals), Blake Saul (guitar), Paul Spirou (bass), and Alex Roman (drums).
Fame on Fire is born for the stage. They love to tour and perform for live audiences. The moment they hit the stage they are game on to entertain the fans. Alex is so heavy on the drums with even strike. Those drumbeats are pure thunder with every beat. And he’s so smooth when he plays too. Paul is tons of fun to watch on the bass. He playing is solid and he moves with the rhythm. You can tell he really loves being on the stage and completely gets locked into the music bouncing along with the song and headbanging too. His backing vocals are great too. Blake is the wild one on stage. He’s constantly getting the fans engaged while he rips through his songs. He moves and grooves during his performance and likes to play up to the photographers too. His guitar playing is awesome and he makes that guitar sing. Bryan is such a talented vocalist and frontman. He gets what it means to be front and center and the crowds love him. His vocals range from the melodic and soft to the screaming and heavy. Bryan has a fantastic range and makes great use of it on stage.
The last time I reviewed Fame on Fire was during our local one-day festival Earthday Birthday 2023. They were great then and this night they were awesome. They were on point in every aspect of their performance. I also love they were given a long set to play. They opened with “Welcome to the Chaos” which is heavy and had that crowd moshing almost immediately. Awesome way to start off their set. “Ketamine” while a short song had such heavy bursts through it and Bryan’s shows his range from melodic to heavy to melodic again. I was ready to throw down with the moshers when “Cut Throat” started off with Paul’s bass riffs. That song has amazing energy and I’d be shocked if you’re not bouncing or moving through that song. And Fame on Fire decided to throw a cover song into their setlist of Linkin Park’s “Numb”. And WOW what a beautiful version they delivered. Overall, another fantastic performance from Fame on Fire. Go check out their music and merch at https://www.fameonfireband.com/.
And then it was time for the headliner, the rock band from Michigan, Pop Evil. The band formed in 2001 and released their first album independently in 2004 titled War of the Roses. They released a three song EP titled Ready or Not in 2006. They finally was signed in 2017 and released their first record label album in 2008 titled Lipstick on the Mirror. That album would end up being their breakout album and the success kept moving forward from there. The band released six additional albums with the most recent being Skeletons. The band consists of Leigh Kakaty (vocals), Dave Grahs (rhythm guitar), Nick Fuelling (lead guitar), Hayley Cramer (drums), and Joey Walser (bass).
There is no doubt, Pop Evil is one of the best live bands out there today. Their energy is something special. I’ve seen them at venues and festivals and no matter the size of the crowd, that band performs like that is the last show they’ll ever do. They appreciate their fans and deliver performances the fans will not forget. Joey is intensity personified. He’s so focused on the music and crowd and then out of nowhere lets loose with headbanging and fast movement. Nick is a great guitar player who stays fairly calm during his performances. You can see how much he loves the music and gets absorbed into it. Like Joey, Nick surprisingly lets loose out of the blue and is moving around with high energy. Dave is also an amazing guitar player, but he doesn’t hold back on the stage. He lets that passion loose on stage through his movement and playing. Hayley, The Queen as Leigh referred to her that night, rules the drums. By far, she is one of the best drummers in the industry today. It’s hard to find another that matches her speed, precision, and power. She drives those hard rock Pop Evil songs to get the audience’s blood pumping. Leigh was born to be a rock star. He has the charisma, the energy, and most certainly the vocals to grace the stage. You can’t help but admire the way he performs on stage.
Pop Evil performed a spectacular setlist that night. Kicking it off with songs “Paranoid (Crash & Burn)” and “Deal With the Devil” had the House of Blues crowd screaming for more. “Be Legendary” provided a great sing-along for the crowd that night. Pop Evil performed their current #1 hit “Skeletons” for the crowd too. Personally, loved getting to hear “Eye of the Storm” and “Survivor” live. My true favorite song of the evening was “Waking Lions”. It’s such a great song musically and Leigh’s vocals on that track are something special. The fans were treated to “100 in a 55” with just Leigh and Nick on stage and then “Monster in Me”. Leigh got the crowd to sing along with both songs and it was such an intimate moment between him and the crowd. Pop Evil closed off the evening with “Breathe Again”. It was such a wonderful set by Pop Evil and definitely not one the fans will forget. Check out their music and merch at https://popevil.com/.
This was such an incredible night of music between Pop Evil, Fame on Fire, and LYLVC. If any of these bands come through your city, go see them. You will love them.
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