The Early November is the first act of the Rockstar Energy Taste of Chaos Tour. Spoiler Alert: You're gonna wanna make sure to get there in plenty of time to see this group take the stage.
The band starts the show with a bass line that gets your in the perfect concert mood. From the moment they take the stage, it's obvious that this is a group of friends who genuinely enjoy being together. Between songs, they joke back and forth, giving the audience a glimpse of what it's like behind the show they put on and into their lives as friends.
Ace Enders shows off a voice that easily croons every note in "Decoration" to kick off the show. They have the familiar sound of a band that fueled your angst-ridden teenage years, as well as showing how they are moving into a more adult sound with their most recent album, "Imbue," that was released in May 2015.
Without hesitation, the band moves into "Frayed in Doubt," once again letting Enders's voice carry all the way to the lawn section. There is no doubt that this Jersey boy commands the audience's attention at every turn with all eyes on him. Eyes closed, head leaned back, you can practically see the music making its way through him as he lets his emotions join the notes in the air.
"Tell Me Why" is the next song to join the setlist, much to the crowd's enjoyment. Even those that had never heard of The Early November were singing along by the end of this song. I'm sure that the band earned at least a couple new fans during their set and solidified their standing as a favorite band of other fans in the crowd.
Getting the crowd involved in the act by letting them choose the next song, Joe Marro encourages the crowd to have Enders serenade them with the slower "Ever So Sweet" over "Baby Blue Eyes." The crowd was happy to comply and mouth the words to "Ever So Sweet" along with Enders (as one should do during a slow song instead of singing so loudly no one can hear the singer).
The rest of the band rejoined him on stage to continue the show with "I Don't Care" from "Imbue." They then moved on to "I Want to Hear You Sad."
The Early November closed their set with "Narrow Mouth," a song showcasing Enders's grasp on the balance between raspy tonality and crooning that carries to the back of the amphitheater and beyond.
What started with Ace Enders and Joe Marro working together at McDonalds at 15 has lead them to stages all over performing their music for thousands of people. If you have the chance to see this band at any point in time, it's a must-do.