Photos and review by Zachary Coleman
Underoath is a band that went through many changes since starting out in 1997. The band went through almost a complete lineup change by 2004 with the exception of drummer Aaron Gillespie. However, the lineup change did not stop them from creating an album that would go down in the post-hardcore/emo history books. I wonder what it was like to go into the studio with a brand new vocalist and to come out with an album that means so much to so many even twenty years later. Through those twenty years, the band has broken up and reformed, released five more studio albums (with another one on the way in early 2025), received multiple Grammy nominations, and have done countless tours including the They’re Only Chasing Safety Twentieth Anniversary World Tour. The tour to celebrate the iconic album started out in the EU/UK, is currently on the North American leg, and will end in Australia as a co-headliner with Alexisonfire. The band has done so much to celebrate this monumental record along with the tour including releasing many new vinyl record variants, teaming up with Three Chord Bourbon, multiple giveaways, and even a comic book releasing through Sumerian Comics. There is another thing fans have been looking forward to regarding this tour besides seeing the album performed in full. The band decided to have a fan-voted encore set unique to each night of the tour where almost everything was on the table. Fans were sent a link to choose their songs to make each night a truly unique experience.
There was a line outside History when doors opened for the completely sold-out show on December 1st in Toronto, Ontario. Once everyone was inside the venue, anticipation builds as everyone awaits to see one of their all-time favorite albums performed in full. However, before Underoath arrives on stage, the fans are greeted by the openers, Moneen and Static Dress. Moneen is a Canadian local band added to the bill the day before the show. Moneen may have been a surprise addition to the show, but the local band was performing in front of the right crowd. Moneen had the crowd singing their classic songs and crowd surfing like it was their show. Canadians really know how to show love to their local scene and it showed at this show.
Static Dress are an English post-hardcore band from Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. Static Dress started opening the tour during the EU/UK leg and will finish alongside the ending of the North American leg. I think a lot of the time people who attend shows tend to skip the opener. I will say if there ever was a perfect opener for an Underoath show, it is probably Static Dress and they have gained the recommendation of every Underoath fan that has attended a show so far. The band’s sound compliments Underoath’s sound, especially during their They’re Only Chasing Safety years. The band writes catchy riffs and choruses that left the crowd hooked and wanting more. Static Dress even brought along a tour exclusive vinyl of their album Rouge Carpet Disaster with an alternate cover mimicking the They’re Only Chasing Safety album artwork. Once that alternate cover sold out, they made a new alternate cover for their redux of the same album. Do yourself a favor, come early, and get your shoes knocked off by the opening bands of this stacked tour.
After Static Dress and Moneen finished their memorable sets, it was time to see Underoath come out and play the album everyone came to sing along to. Everyone expected to hear the opening synth to “Young & Aspiring,” but Underoath had something else in mind. Aaron Gillespie came out with guitarist Tim Mctague and sang the album’s closer “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape” to start things off. The rest of the band appeared on stage during the performance to seamlessly transition into the album’s intro track. Underoath’s stage is best described as a design for a youth group basement with a couch in the middle of the stage, lamps everywhere, and stickers that referenced where the band was in 2004, “Solid State Records,” and also where the band was currently at, “F**k Scaplers.” During the fan-favorite song, “Reinventing Your Exit,” the band invited multiple fans to come sit on the couch to enjoy the song being played live from the stage.
The show sold out months in advance and you could tell since the room was packed wall to wall while Underoath played the entirety of They’re Only Chasing Safety. Everyone needed to see this album performed in full. The band did add a few twists and turns for the fans such as a different instrumental intro to “Down, Set, Go” and not playing the outro to “I Don’t Feel Very Receptive Today.” Through it all, there were crowd surfers and moshing during every song. After the album playthrough was over, the band switched to their fan-voted encore set. Toronto’s encore set included two brand new songs off Underoath’s unannounced album, “Teeth” and “Generation No Surrender.” For Underoath's newly released single, “Generation No Surrender,” the band had been filming a music video for the song’s upcoming release in each city. They stated they would pick the best cities out of all the ones that were filmed to be featured in the music video. They also played “Breathing in a New Mentality,” “When the Sun Sleeps,” “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures,” and fan favorite closer “Writing on the Walls.”
If I was asked to name albums that changed the trajectory of metal-core in the early 2000s, They’re Only Chasing Safety by Underoath would be one of those albums. That album changed and inspired so many bands in the scene at the time ultimately paving the way for metal-core bands during the 2010s and onward. The album is considered timeless by many including myself. I remember listening to They’re Only Chasing Safety during some of the hardest years of my life. This is not a tour to miss especially if you love this album because Underoath have said themselves this album play through will never happen again. The band has a few tour dates left all the way down the east coast to their hometown in Tampa, Florida where they will end the North American leg of the tour.
