Photos and Review by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos)
The first time I saw I Prevail in concert was at the Northern Invasion festival in Wisconsin in 2017, where they were on one of the smaller stages. At the time, the band was best known for their cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” and their original ballad, “Alone.” I loved their set and could tell they had something special.
Five years, three LPs, and two Grammy nominations later, I Prevail just keeps getting better and better. Their newly released “TRUE POWER” album is their heaviest and most complex yet, which is why I was excited to learn their sets on the TRUE POWER tour featured almost all the tracks from the album and only a few other songs. It’s a gutsy move not many bands could get away with, but I Prevail’s fan base is extremely devoted to them and were super excited to hear the new tunes performed live.
The set started with a recording of the instrumental intro, “0.00.” Then the band strode onstage amid thunderous cheers and began banging out, “There’s Fear in Letting Go.” As the music built in intensity, the crowd responded with head-banging, devil horns, and jumping. In fact, there was a lot of that throughout the set, along with several circle pits and plenty of crowd surfing.
Clean vocalist Brian Burkheiser, harsh vocalist Eric Vanlerbleghe, lead guitarist Steve Menoian, rhythm guitarist Dylan Bowman, and drummer Gabe Helguera gave everything they had. I carefully watched Burkheiser for signs of the knee and wrist injuries he sustained in Pennsylvania a few days ago, but there was no indication he was at less than 100% capacity. He did most of the talking for the band and shared a little about his mental health struggles, encouraging fans to never give up.
Although Burkheiser drew the most attention during the show, I had a hard time keeping my eyes off Vanderbleghe. His long hair and beard, guttural vocals and aggressive stances made his seem sinister, but the smile on his face contradicted that impression. Vanderbleghe, along with Menoian, also contributed to the clean vocals on some of the songs, which added new depth and dimension to the sound.
Somehow, after 15 intense songs, the band had enough strength to perform “Gasoline,” and “Bow Down,” both incredibly high-energy songs, as their encore. It was a great way to end a phenomenal show. I can honestly say this was one of the best concerts I’ve been to all year.
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