Concert Review: Architects, letlive. 5.5.14 The Marlin Room @ Webster Hall - NYC

Words by Emilia D’Albero | Photos by Michel Dussack

Webster Hall on Monday night was home to both a James Blunt show and a letlive./Architects co-headlining show, and it was obvious from half a block away where the lines to get in ended. I chose the line with more Vans sneakers in it and asked a fan if it was the line for the letlive. show, to which he responded, “Hell yeah dude! Rock on!” and gave me the devil horns, so I knew I was in the right place.

Opening with “27 Club,” the closing track off their latest album The Blackest Beautiful, letlive. wasted no time showing the crowd in the Marlin Room what being a hardcore band really went. From the first few notes, the crowd went crazy, moshing and jumping and screaming the words back at the band. Frontman Jason Aalon is one of the most energetic frontmen out there right now, to say the very least. He never stops moving; he is constantly running across the stage, jumping, and interacting with fans. Throughout the entirety of their set, which included older fan favorites like “The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion” and “Muther” as well as newer hits like “Dreamer’s Disease,” it was difficult to tell where the audience ended and the stage began. Crowdsurfers consistently jumped on stage to hug Jason, maybe sing a few lines into the mic, and then jump back onto the audience, only to do it all again 5 minutes later.

Letlive. is a band who not only play hard, but also love hard. Their fan appreciation is overwhelming; after the first 2 songs they played, Aalon told the crowd “We though we were a band from Los Angeles, but apparently we’re a band from New York!” Their energy level was through the roof and unwavering for their entire 1+ hour long set (significantly longer than they were supposed to play) and they even dedicated a song to Alberto Scott, who passed away at a concert at Webster Hall only days before, saying “Don’t let him be forgotten.” He may not be, but letlive.’s set at the Marlin Room will also never be forgotten by those who attended.

Letlive. are a hard act to follow, but Architects took the stage and immediately matched their energy. The British four-piece have been head banging since 2004 and have only gotten better with age. Opening with “Gravedigger,” the title track off their newest release Lost Together // Lost Forever, they plunged the crowd into an ocean of sound that seemed to hypnotize everyone in the room as they lost themselves in the music. The pits got bigger, the number of crowdsurfers increased, and the intensity level skyrocketed. From the moment they took the stage, it was like being hit with a wall of guitar riffs and drum beats that you felt in your bones.

Playing a career-spanning set, including hits like “Broken Cross” and one of their latest singles, “Naysayer,” Architects showed New York why so many people love to be at their shows. Watching frontman Sam Carter bend down and sing into the faces of his supportive fans was an emotional experience; these kids believe in this music so much and it’s kind of inspiring. “Follow the Water” was a special moment in the set because letlive.’s Jason Aalon came out to perform the song with Architects, making it one of the most memorable songs of the entire night. It was impossible to not “bang your fucking head,” as Carter put it as he introduced one of the tunes, and this show was undoubtedly one of the most intense shows I’ve ever attended in New York City. Closing with what is arguably their biggest hit, “These Colours Don’t Run,” Architects ended their show with a bang, with almost every person in the room screaming the lyrics back at them at the top of their lungs. Both bands played amazing sets and everyone who attended most likely cannot wait until they return to New York City.