Badflower fires up an enthusiastic crowd at Saint Andrew’s Hall on their North American tour, with support from Point North and Olive Vox.
Three of the next four songs come from their 2016 EP Temper, including “Animal,” “Drop Dead,” and “Let the Band Play.” Josh exits the stage during “Let the Band Play,” and they continue with a jam of Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick,” including a drum solo by Anthony Sonetti. Eventually, Josh shows up on the balcony and asks the crowd if they are feeling strong. He proceeds to trust them as he falls backwards and they catch him, and he surfs to the stage. The fans love it! Sandwiched in between those three songs is the haunting “Heroin,” which starts slow until Josh ratchets up the vocals along with the guitar of Joey Morrow. It gets a huge round of applause.
The slower-paced “What’s the Point” gets the fans to wave their lighters and cell phone lights overhead. Josh takes a moment to express that the band is always honest, and it shows in many songs that are personal. Like many of their songs, they are emotional and fans can relate to the lyrics. They deal with topics like the loss of someone close, relationships, depression, anxiety, mental health, and suicide.
Josh teases the crowd that the next song is their last of the evening, unless the fans want more. Obviously, the fans cheer for more. They play the popular song “Ghost,” which has the crowd singing along. The band exits the stage briefly. A video of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz movies plays as the band comes back out for “No Place Like Home.” This song not only gets the crowd fired up again, but also has Josh doing backbends, as well as having him and Alex bounce and headband. By this time, Josh’s voice is pretty much shot for anything higher than his speaking level. Good thing he has a sold-out venue of fans ready to assist. The chill song “London” is one where the crowd does a lot of the singing. “The Jester” is another fan favorite that receives huge cheers, along with fans putting up their horns and waving. Before the next song, Josh proclaims, “Detroit, this one is just for you.” They then play the song “Detroit,” which was written backstage at a past show in Detroit.
They close out their set with the fast-paced punk song “Swinging Hammer,” which has the fans on the floor going wild. Both Josh and a female guest vocalist go crowd surfing. Josh tells the crowd, “Detroit, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” It is a great finish to another excellent set by one of the best rock bands out there today.
Their set may have been shortened a bit because of Josh’s voice, but the fans still loved it. Be sure to catch them when they come to a city nearby. The tour continues until March 21.
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