Just when we all thought that we might be out of fool’s spring and into the short but sweet real spring, one more flash of winter-like weather is getting ready to hit the Twin Cities later this week. However, this was not before one of my most anticipated spring shows was set to take place at the Fillmore in Minneapolis, The Devil Wears Prada. Over the course of nearly twenty years of going to live shows, I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen this band, either on Warped Tour, a headliner, or on a support slot, but their live set has always been a great time and I was excited to be able to catch them this time around after missing their tour last spring.

I have been telling myself for years that I am getting too old for shows that have more than 3 bands on them, and yet I keep finding myself predominately at those shows. Tonight was no different, and Texas metalcore outfit I Promised the World were the first to take the stage. This band (formally known as Sw!tch and Sinema before settling on I Promised the World) were a great choice for an opener for this tour. What I appreciated about their time on stage was the rawness of their performance, not just sonically but vocally. Going back and forth between clean and unclean vocals has always been an easy sell for me; pair that with some heavy breakdowns and/or moody instrumentals and I’m having a great time. The energy I Promised the World put forth was truly incredible, they made me forget they were the first band of the night. Even with this being the band’s first time in the Twin Cities, I’m expecting them to be back before long.

Next up was English rockers Split Chain. Just like I Promised the World, this band was new to me, and my favorite scenario of having a live experience as my first experience of a band’s music was playing out. Split Chain sonically was a bit different from I Promised the World, and fit more of the “traditional” rock/metalcore mold, but even then threw in some of their own flair. The crowd came a little more alive for Split Chain, with a slow but steady flow of crowd surfers making their way up to the front and small pits breaking out in the crowd. Their set was fun to watch and I tucked away a note for myself to check out their music to see what will fit in with my running playlists.

The penultimate band of the evening were legends Four Year Strong. I remember back when I was first getting into concert photography many years ago, how this band was one of the first I covered in Boston at Brighton Music Hall, and then again in Worcester at The Palladium. This band is always a treat to see live and tonight was no exception. Although nothing will quite match catching Four Year Strong playing a hometown show in Massachusetts, their set in Minneapolis was pretty close. From the start there was a swarm of crowdsurfers, plenty of head banging, and many people in the crowd singing and jumping along. While it definitely wasn’t as crazy as a hometown show crowd-wise, Four Year Strong brought the heat with their time on stage with an unrelenting energy that didn’t slow for a single moment. I forgot how good this band is live and will definitely be back the next time they roll through the Twin Cities.

Finally, it was time for the headliners to take the stage. Even though I have fallen a little behind in their discography, The Devil Wears Prada has always been one of my favorite bands to listen to, and I’m particularly fond of all of their thematic EPs, even writing a full research paper in college exploring their “Zombie” EP. The band took that stage promptly at 9:30pm and went full send into back to back tracks off of their latest release “Flowers” (“Where the Flowers Never Grow” & “So Low” before throwing down “Danger: Wildman.” While the setlist was heavy on tracks from “Flowers” (right around 7 in total), the band did a great job showcasing work from their entire discography. Being selfish for a moment, I personally would have liked a track or two from “Zombie II” and “Plant A” from their “Space” EP, it was great to hear such a wide variety of tracks live, even “Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over.” I have been lucky to be able to catch The Devil Wears Prada live in a few different settings and in a few different states across the country, and their performance at The Fillmore proved that they continue to be a must see band.