Written by Steven Paugh
Photos by Dan Rudolph
Few bands have the type of glow-up I’ve seen Knocked Loose have. Of course in the era of TikTok being the force it is, any band can have a strong tour based on a single soundbite. But the wave this band is currently riding is far from crashing. In the span of less than five years they’ve gone from big names in the hardcore scene, to touring with $uicideboy$, to now headlining their own tour which stopped in Newport, KY May 24th.
This wasn’t supposed to be my first time covering the band. I was supposed to see them two years ago when they came through with $uicideboy$ and Code Orange. But due to poor foresight, I couldn’t beat the crowd. A line of people weaved through all of Newport so long that I couldn’t find the end. Luckily I learned my lesson for last week because MegaCorp Pavillion was absolutely packed. No space anywhere for on-lookers; if you were there, you were there to play. The rowdiness extended from the pit on to the exit ramps and stairs the second the band took stage.
Knocked Loose is without a doubt a powerhouse in person. The distinguished guitar tone of Isaac Hale is just as face melting as one would imagine. No matter how many simple, chugging riffs he plays through it, I could never get tired of listening. The performances by everyone on stage are pristine, especially that of vocalist Bryan Garris. On top of being a frontman’s frontman, his vocal style has become polished. It may be a good joke, especially in the hardcore scene. But for what the bands identity has become, it works in their favor. Bryan has found his own style from a hardcore based form of singing. Which also allows for the bands genuinely good lyrics to be appreciated more. Combining that with the more metalcore styles of music behind him, it makes for an interesting crossover that’s somehow unique. Despite the ever growing scene of popular harsher music.
So many of their songs both past and present are, to be blunt, catchy as hell. For a band with beginnings in the hardcore scene to have “hits” like they do is interesting. The franticness and hard hitting riffs keeps them from casual radio play, but the formalism of their hooks keeps their audience participation on point. There were so many instances of the crowd overpowering the room screaming along to parts of certain songs. The famous breakdown of Counting Worms gave the whole crowd a moment of total control as they screamed the lead in. Funny enough though, the second everyone got “Arf! Arf!” out, at least 25% of the room left before the song had even ended.
Something stuck with me afterwards that had me considering more about the band than I had initially expected. The band has a bunch of trees with Spanish moss covering them on both sides of the back wall. In the center is a pencil thin cross that lights up in different colors. The scenery matches the tone of their new album “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To”. The album covers themes of religious trauma, to which the set perfectly encompasses. An aura of burning light from the “king of kings” somewhere deep and hidden from the public.
The amount of big name bands I’ve seen in recent years that have had blank stages is astonishing. So much atmosphere can be brought with the most minimal of set dressing and I appreciate Knocked Loose bringing more spectacle than I had anticipated.
While I loved the show from all perspectives, and the set was amazing, it left me with one thought at the end of the night: if you think you’re ever going to get the experience of Knocked Loose circa 2018, you are a fool. They’ve grown beyond that scene and there’s no way they could ever go back. The past few years of exposure to a more mainstream audience has caused their crowds, stage presence, and music to change. Not for better or worse, but there’s no denying it’s different. Whether it be a new influx of inspiration or pressure from ticket sales, their music has shifted from hardcore to a more metalcore-adjacent that will have a more solidified name in five years. Where Pop-Punk emerged, surely whatever acolytes come from Knocked Loose will too (Hard-Pop-Core?).
