Underoath braves triple-digit heat to deliver a relentless, barrier-free set for a fanatic, sold-out Greensboro show on their way to Vans Warped Tour.
Much of North Carolina was under a heat advisory, with heat indexes climbing well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside Greensboro’s Hangar 1819, the temperature soared even higher as over 500 ravenous fans turned the sold-out venue into a sweaty oven. Marking the fifth stop on The Van Tour To Vans Warped Tour, and landing just two days before Underoath‘s appearance at Warped Tour, Greensboro was the only date to sell out before the pre-sale window closed, doing so in less than 24 hours. Underoath fans braved the sweltering heat to line up early, refusing to let the weather temper their excitement for one of the band’s most intimate sets in roughly 20 years.
Opening the evening was Initiate, a hardcore band from Orange County, California, who joined the lineup at the last minute after their own tour was unexpectedly canceled. As vocalist Crystal Pak explained, the offer to jump on a few dates with Underoath to offset their lost income was incredibly gracious. Their nine-song set, including “Lavender,” “Fool,” and their 2025 single “Too Much,” displayed a massive sonic range, blending metal, hardcore punk, post-hardcore, and a brief touch of pop danceability. Intense from start to finish, Initiate was a stellar addition to the bill.
HELD. is a brand-new project comprised of members from The Sleeping, Night Verses, and Coheed and Cambria. Regular drummer Josh Eppard was replaced this evening by a gentleman nicknamed “Goose,” as Eppard was away on tour with Coheed and Cambria. Performing together for only the fifth time ever, the members took the stage in matching black shirts and long pants, offering little initial hint of their musical style. The trio performed exclusively from their debut album, GREY (released May 15, 2026), including tracks like “KNIFEPOINT,” “NEW YOU ANTHEM,” and “THROUGH THE CRACKS.” Because the material was unfamiliar to the audience, the mosh pit briefly ground to a halt, but the band’s heavy post-hardcore groove and Douglas Robinson’s booming vocals kept heads bobbing and the room captivated. The sheer pedigree and talent on stage gave the performance the polish of a veteran act, a sure sign of bright things to come. By the time Underoath took the stage, the temperature inside Hangar 1819 easily cleared triple digits, earning Greensboro the badge of the hottest show of the tour so far. As if ignited by the heat, the venue went absolutely feral the moment the band struck the opening chords of “Breathing in a New Mentality.” The crowd surged forward, hanging on every word from vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. Crowd surfers launched overhead instantly, sustaining a relentless wave that paused only briefly mid-set.The defining characteristic of the night, however, was the stage diving. As Chamberlain explained, The Van Tour To Vans Warped Tour was intentionally booked in the intimate, barrier-free independent venues that helped build the band’s career. True to that DIY ethos, fans faced no barricades, frequently sharing the microphone with Chamberlain or lingering for a quick onstage sing-along before diving back into the sea of bodies. It was an absolute dream scenario for die-hard Underoath fans.
The setlist spanned the band’s extensive catalog, leaning heavily into their roots. This included fan favorites like the closing track, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” (from 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety), as well as one of their heaviest tracks to date, “A Divine Eradication” from 2010’s Ø (Disambiguation). The audience sang at the top of their lungs for every single song, gleefully pummeling one another into a dripping, sweaty mess.
The Van Tour To Vans Warped Tour runs through late summer before transitioning into the massive Define the Great Line 20th Anniversary Tour, which wraps up on December 18 in Tampa, Florida.
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