It’s no secret that seeing The Acacia Strain live has been a goal of mine for quite some time. They’ve been one of my favorite bands for a while now, which was solidified with their 2020 release, Slow Decay. (You may remember seeing it on my AOTY list that year.) So when I finally saw they were headed to my neck of the woods on their 2022 Tune Low Die Slow Tour, I knew there was no way I’d miss it.
The Venue
This was only my second time at Preserving Underground. My first visit to this Pittsburgh area venue/record shop was when I saw Obscura (check out my gallery from that show here). But this most recent trip to see The Acacia Strain live in concert would also solidify something else- that Preserving Underground is now one of my favorite local venues. That’s something my fellow headbanging Pittsburghers have also been echoing. Unlike other shows, The Acacia Strain had a way of making the venue feel as though it were their home. And we were just invited for the type of fun you can only get at one of The Acacia Strain’s shows.
While they may not be from The Steel City, the energy in the sold out room felt like it was The Acacia Strain’s hometown show. Fans were mesmerized while still completely hype and energetic headbanging along to their favorite Acacia Strain songs. Three songs from this setlist were actually fan chosen after the band asked their fans to vote on social media. Those songs were “JFC”, “Doomblade”, and “Feed A Pigeon, Breed A Rat”.
Opening Bands for The Acacia Strain Live at Preserving Underground
Part of that high energy momentum started before the band even hit the stage with 156/Silence, a Pittsburgh based band. I actually discovered them because of The Acacia Strain, and at the time, I was so happy to see one of my favorite bands supporting a band that represents the Pittsburgh heavy music scene so well. But to have them on the same bill was mind blowing to say the least. 156/Silence put on an amazing live performance which made me even more of a fan than I already was.
And that was just the first band! The Acacia Strain was also joined by the Chicago Hardcore band, Kharma, as well as I Am, who rocked the house with some Texas style Death. You know how at some shows, the pits are not as active or as big for the opening bands as they would be for the headliner? That didn’t seem to be the case at all for the first 3 bands. It is historically one of the most energetic and exciting shows I’ve seen in recent years, next to Chaos & Carnage.
The Headliner
The best part of seeing The Acacia Strain live in Pittsburgh, though, was watching their interactions with fans during the performance, and how fucking happy their fans were. The show was sold out and the room was definitely packed, but even if you were standing behind the pit in the very back, The Acacia Strain had a way of making you feel like you were right next to them. In other cases, fans literally were on stage with Vincent Bennett, screaming into the mic, piling on top of each other, and just having the best time jumping in and out of the pit from the stage. There was quite literally no separation between the band and us, their fans.
It’s kind of hard to put into words how unique this experience was, especially when it’s one of your favorite bands providing it. Vincent Bennett is one of my favorite follows on Instagram because he posts some pretty insightful stuff with his thoughts on the world. But this post basically sums up what I said above.
Here at The Versatile Virgo, we love our bands that appreciate their fans as much as we appreciate them. But to see this so up close and personal, truly made for the experience of a lifetime. The Acacia Strain’s Tune Low Die Slow tour is still going strong across the US with 156/Silence, I Am, and No Zodiac (who’s on the 2nd half of the tour). Grab your tickets here.
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