High energy is the only term that can accurately describe the evening that Marianas Trench, The Summer Set and Senses brought to the Ritz in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Force of Nature tour, headlined by Vancouver’s Marianas Trench, has been roaming across the United States over the past few weeks and taking place in venues packed with dedicated fans of all ages.
Opening the night was Los Angeles based pop-punk band Senses which took the stage and were welcomed to cheers of excitement. From the first note that was played, vocalist Madison Taylor delivered a powerful performance and immediately had the crowd in the palm of her hand. Senses has been touring non-stop since the release of their debut EP in 2023 and they have no where to go but up. Honestly, Senses is definitely going to be your new favorite band.
With the energy already being at an extreme high as Senses set came to an end, you would think that it’d be hard to top it. However, we all know that when The Summer Set takes the stage, we’re all in for an all out dance party in concert form. With iconic hits like “Boomerang”, “Chelsea” and of course the loved “Lightning In A Bottle” (just ask the fan that screamed out for them to play it when they had only been on stage for one song) the band delivered an unforgettable and at times, nostalgic performance. A definite highlight came when lead singer, Brian Logan Dales, while singing “Chelsea” asked if anyone in the audience was actually named Chelsea. One person excitedly screamed yes and Dales proceeded to climb off the stage and make his way through the crowd to her and let her sing the remainder of the song with him right there from the stage floor. Needless to say, it make for a memorable night for all involved.
After two already fun and energetic performances, it was time for the main attraction of the night. Marianas Trench came to the stage under a dim glow of blue and white lights where at center, vocalist Josh Ramsay immediately showed why he is one of the best in the genre (go watch his covers if you don’t believe me). For a 21 song set, Ramsay and his bandmates kept the energy, laughs and hits coming, including a melody of their famous hits from all of our emo years including this writers favorite, “Cross My Heart.” Combine this with the incredible production of lighting, haze and other effects that paid homage to the namesake of tour, this may be one of the best shows and tours of 2025.
Marianas Trench has been a staple in the pop-rock genre for over a decade and they show no signs of stopping anytime soon. With more tours coming, the continuing success of this band is something any music lover should be following!
P.S. Seriously, go check out your new favorite band Senses.
Photos & writing by Justin Doan
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