I had the amazing opportunity to see Motionless In White at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY last month.
Opening the night was hardcore act Dying Wish. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the five-piece carries a sound similar to hardcore groups SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Knocked Loose, and Counterparts. Frontwoman Emma Boster stated that one of the songs on their setlist, “Innate Thirst”, was a new track that the band recently released. It also appears on their brand new album, Fragments of a Bitter Memory. They played 7 songs, with their set being about thirty minutes long. I personally enjoyed Dying Wish quite a bit, their sound was huge and very well polished I felt. I love modern hardcore, so they absolutely gained a fan in me. I cannot wait to see what this band brings next.
Next on the bill was Silent Planet from Azusz, CA, and they did not disappoint. Opening their set with their newest single, “Panopticon”. Their set was about 45 minutes long, with 8 songs in total. The band’s frontman, Garrett Russell, spoke on some of the hardships behind the songs they were playing. I was completely blown away upon hearing them. I had heard a lot of hype about the band amongst the metal scene, but had never listened before that night. The amount of raw emotion in their lyrics and performance was just… gut wrenching. The energy in the room was completely next level. It was a phenomenal experience, and I think that a lot of new Silent Planet fans left The Westcott Theater after this show.
Last but not least we had Motionless in White on the bill. The crowd was roaring for the band to come out, chanting “motionless” until they finally took the stage. Motionless in White played 14 songs in their set, spanning from their newest material to some, “deep cuts”, as vocalist Chris Motionless said. Syracuse has been waiting for MIW’s return, selling out The Westcott Theater for one of the first times since the pandemic. Motionless was last in Syracuse opening for Aqueous in 2017, coincidentally also at The Westcott. The room was packed end to end with excited showgoers, all screaming the band’s lyrics back at them. Syracuse has been ready to get back into live music, and the crowd at this show was proof of that.
