"If you wanted a rock show, you got one and then-some on Wednesday night at the Dallas House of Blues. The sold out show featured performances by up-and-coming rapper Justin Stone, the comeback kids in ISSUES, and the fearless headliners that make up I Prevail.  Pound for pound, one of the best live shows I have seen in 2019!"

The show opened with Columbus, Ohio native, Justin Stone. Never hearing Justin before, I knew I was in for a treat when he started spitting ridiculous crafty lyrics at the ever-growing crowd. "A rapper at a metal show" I thought to myself, but honestly, it really helped set the mood for what was about to go down. Knowing that Justin was on one of the new I Prevail songs made so much more sense why he was on this tour and the choice paid off in spades.  For those that don't know, Justin Stone has over 60 million streams on Spotify and after hearing his set, I understand why. He is a spitting image of what G-Eazy was on his come-up. He was literally an out-of-control tornado on stage, throwing off a ton energy on stage that rivaled many of the headliners I have seen recently. He got the crowd on their feet and moving right away, and it really didn’t stop until he ended his set. To top it all off, he got his super-talented drummer on stage to crowd surf for the very first time. Definitely an artist I will be following moving forward.

Up next was the band I really was there to see, ISSUES. I have been listening to them since they released their first EP, Black Diamonds, in 2012. It’s crazy to think it has been that long. ISSUES has always been a band that I could listen to all day long and see live over and over again. Born from Woe Is Me, Tyler Carter continues to impress alongside Skyler Acord on bass, Josh Manuel on drums, and AJ Rebollo on guitar. What I was more interested in was how they would be without their former screamer Michael Bohn,  who departed from the band earlier this year. To be honest, it was sad not seeing Michael up there, but I think ISSUES did a great job putting Skyler and AJ in the mix for screams. Tyler even screams on stage and that is something the fans haven’t heard in a while (if ever). Getting into the performance that night, ISSUES came out heavy hitting with probably one of my favorite songs, “Hooligans”, and absolutely blew the roof off. The energy they still bring to the stage is amazing. They did a great job incorporating songs from all of their albums and chose very well I might add. Playing jams such as “Coma”, “Never Lose You Flames”, “Stingray Affliction”, “Home Soon”, and their newest release “Tapping Out” were just a few of the hits they performed but definitely killed all off them. I was very impressed with their performance and can’t wait for the release of their new album and upcoming tour.

Last but certainly not least, I Prevail hit the stage and they hit the stage hard. The visuals they had in their production were top notch to straight out of the gate. As a photographer, the more lights I get to play with, the better. I had heard I Prevail in passing multiple times but haven’t really took the time to dive in to their stuff. Wednesday night gave me everything I needed to hear in order to save their music on Spotify soon after the show. Led by Brian Burkheaiser and Eric Vanlerberghe, I Prevail leads this genre with the heavy slaps and sick riffs. I was blown away by  the way everyone came together on stage and gave it their all. I talk about a lot of energy in performances, but they hit the nail on the head with this one. I couldn’t keep up so much was happening and I think that is what made this show all worth it. The crowd never stopped moving and honestly, I don’t know how you couldn’t stop moving. Justin Stone made an appearance on stage for “Rise Above It” and that was killer.

Overall, I was blown away by I Prevail's 2019 Trauma Tour and would recommend to anyone who wants to see a real rock and roll show.  I Prevail looks to have a very long (and successful) road ahead of them and am glad they are finally on my radar. ISSUES made their big debut without Michael and with a new album on the horizon, they are destined for greatness. Finally, rapper extraordinaire Justin Stone is a plain bad-ass and will make some huge waves in the rap industry if he stays true to his craft.  

As always, rock on my friends!