Polaris at The Senate

Photos and writing by Dillon Reesor

The Senate in Columbia, SC, was electric on Saturday, September 6th, as the venue hosted a lineup that had the crowd hyped from the very start. Headlined by the Australian heavyweights, Polaris, with support from blessthefall, Thousand Below, and Nerv, the night delivered one powerhouse performance after another.

Nerv kicked off the night, and the energy was palpable right from the jump. The crowd for the openers was significantly bigger than I’m used to seeing at The Senate; and despite being relatively early in the evening, the band managed to get the audience engaged right away. Nerv’s sound was sharp and well-mixed from the first note to their last. Their enthusiasm on stage matched the growing excitement of the crowd, setting the foundation for the night’s heavy-hitting performances.

Next up was Thousand Below, and they absolutely lived up to the expectations. Their sound was on point, and the energy in the room was infectious. Thousand Below delivered a performance that was both powerful and memorable, highlighted by an exceptional performance of “Hell Finds You Everywhere”.

Arizona metalcore vets blessthefall were next, and delivered probably my favorite set of the night. The stage presence of vocalist Beau Bokan was second to none, and the band wasted no time in riling the crowd up further. The pits got bigger, the moshing got harder, and the number of crowd surfers climbed steadily throughout their set. Bokan made the night particularly memorable for a couple of young kids in the crowd by talking directly to them between songs. Blessthefall showed why their fans speak so highly of their live shows, and really raised the bar for the night’s performances.

Finally, Polaris came to the stage. From the first note of opening track “The Crossfire”, the crowd erupted. I almost felt bad for security as the crowd surfers started pouring over the rail two and three at a time. The performance was tight, the light show was dialed in, the aggression was palpable; all around the Australian heavyweights put on a phenomenal show.

From start to finish, this show was a wild ride, and every band brought something special to the stage. Each performance built on the last, capped off by blessthefall and Polaris delivering fantastic performances. It was everything you want from a metal show — loud, intense, and an absolute blast.

Polaris and the rest of the lineup are on tour in the US (plus two stops in Canada) through the end of the month, before the band heads off to Europe. Check out the upcoming dates here.

Polaris