Originally scheduled as the first destination of the Welcome To Elsewhere Tour in January, Set It Off’s hometown show in Los Angeles at The Belasco Theater was postponed to last Wednesday (due to covid) to close out the highly-anticipated tour.
Despite graduating from their pop punk roots and integrating alternative and pop elements into their sound, Set It Off has remained an incredibly relevant band within the scene and done a remarkable job building and retaining their fanbase. As I spoke to some fans at the front of the pit who waited eagerly for the three openers to give Set It Off the stage, one described Set It Off’s music as “therapeutic,” transcending the sound that the band chooses to introduce each album era.
I kept that in mind, as Set It Off finally took the stage. They opened with two of their newest songs, “Skeleton” and “Projector,” both of which lean towards the alt-pop subgenre. The new era felt more evocative and vibrant, and the stage aesthetic represented it unbelievably well. Each band member rocked glaring colors, faded rainbow letters covered the backdrop and skeletons and robot-looking projectors conquered the sides of the stage. Above all, Set It Off’s engaging stage presence and aggressive movement proved to be the critical factor that distinguished them from bands that failed to transition out of pop punk. Not only did they play much of their eclectic discography to perfection, but towards the end of their set, they also played a medley consisting of older anthems, a nod to their earlier fans and a musical recap for the new.
“ELSEWHERE” will be released on March 11th via Fearless Records.
For fans of: iDKHOW But They Found Me, Waterparks, Bad Suns, YUNGBLUD
Photos by Enoch Chuang:
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