Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens Concert Review

On February 3, the Uptown Theater in downtown Kansas City was crowded with people, excited teenagers and their not-so-excited parents alike, to see Sleeping With Sirens and Pierce the Veil perform on The World Tour, sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drinks. When I arrived, the line to get in stretched around the building and down the street for at least two blocks. The show was sold out and the floor in front of the stage was packed with people trying to get as close as they could to the front barrier. Opening for the headlining bands on the second leg of the North American part of The World Tour were the bands PVRIS and  Mallory Knox.

PVRIS, pronounced Paris, is a three piece alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Having never heard of the band before, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard a girl’s voice. Not  many girl led bands make it big these days, but the band was really good. The lead singer, Lyndsey Gunnelfsen, had a wide range and amazed the crowd by holding a single note for a solid minute. I loved their music and I definitely ended the night as a fan. Lyndsey also joined Pierce the Veil for a verse in the headlining band`s song, “Hold on Till May.”

Mallory Knox is a five piece alternative rock band from Cambridge, United Kingdom. The band is made up of Mikey Chapman on lead vocals, Joe Savins on lead guitar, Sam Douglas on bass guitar, Dave Rawling on drums and James Gillett on rhythm guitar. They had an edgier look to them, but their sound was more similar to old school Fall Out Boy. I didn’t like them as much as I liked PVRIS, but I did like their music and they put on a great show. They interacted with the fans in the front and tried their best to keep the crowd pumped.

Sleeping With Sirens was the first headlining band to perform. Their intro, a hilarious tour theme song they wrote themselves, had the crowd on their feet and screaming with excitement in seconds. They opened with their new single, “Kick Me,” and then paused to introduce themselves and interact with the crowd. They played numerous songs from all three of their albums and even a few from the one they’re releasing this year. About halfway through the set, they brought out an acoustic guitar and lead signer Kellin Quinn sang a cover of the GooGoo Dolls` “Iris.” The show was amazing, and they were a lot of fun to watch. They sang some of my favorites, including “If Im James Dean then Youre Audrey Hepburn.”

Finishing off the night was the San Diego based band Pierce the Veil. The band immediatly captured my attention, appearing behind a white screen, their silhouettes lit up alternatively with spotlights. As soon as the first guitar chords rang out for the first song, the screen dropped. The crowd began to pack in tighter, trying to get as close to the band as they could. They played songs from all three studio albums. Hearing my favorite song, “Hold On Till May,” live brought tears to my eyes. After finshing most of the set, the band left the stage and the crowd called for an encore. Pierce the Veil brought Kellin Quinn on stage to finish the night with their single King For A Day, a fan favorite including Sleeping With Siren`s lead singer.