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| Matt Brandyberry, From Ashes To New |
I think by now all those who read this publication know that we love
Five Finger Death Punch. So it was a given that we took the trip up the hill to Reno, Nevada, for the closest date on
their current tour. Also on the bill,
Papa Roach and In This Moment, and I'll be posting more about their sets soon.
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| Chris Musser, From Ashes To New |
But we'd not seen
From Ashes To New before. First on the bill, and an early show: the Lawlor Event Center is within the Reno university campus, and I suspect that many of the students came straight from classes to line up outside the venue. It's not often that a major metal/rock tour lands in Reno: the show was in competition with Ricky Martin at one of the casinos (sorry, Ricky, FFDP won, hands down, straight flush).
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| From Ashes To New, Reno, NV |
I like Reno. Sure, it's a casino town, and it's gritty, like the high desert that surrounds it. But it's embedded in beautiful and remote countryside, and just a few miles from stunning, Lake Tahoe. The people are friendly, kind, and there's a surprising range of vegetarian, organic and yummy food, and more traditional martial arts stores in Reno than I've seen since leaving France. Step outside the casinos, go to midtown. There are inexpensive buses, Uber has just started service there, and it's a fun city to explore.
But back to the concert. Matt Brandyberry of
From Ashes To New was kind enough to have a chat before the show, about the band's rapid growth from a couple of songs on YouTube to opening a huge tour. Yes, it really is less than two years since the band began: Matt putting songs together with friends, frustrated with waiting for a band to work, a strong personal philosophy of proving yourself through persistance and hard work ("Treat every day like a football game. Yesterday doesn't matter. Tomorrow doesn't matter. This game, this moment, matters."), people hearing the songs, Octane radio picking up the message, a couple of tours with Hollywood Undead and POD and voila... here they are, opening a huge tour with FFDP and Papa Roach, gaining fans in every city, and leaving the audience wanting more: blending elements of hip-hop, rap, metal and rock, two strong vocalists, six guys on stage, jumps, energy, huge sound.
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| From Ashes To New, Reno, NV |
It wasn't planned.
From Ashes To New didn't first create a band, then write songs, find a label, get published, then tour. The band members had all played with other bands in and around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but nothing had really come of it.
From Ashes To New came together somewhat organically and clicked. (Matt said, "Chris didn't want to sing. I had to break him." I guess he was talking about breaking a singer like you break a thoroughbred horse, because boy, can he sing!
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| From Ashes To New, Reno, NV |
"So what's the next stop on the tour?"
"Ontario"
"Ontario, Canada?"
"That's what we thought at first, too. Boy that would be expensive. Three band members with DUIs, and we're going to Canada? That's $5,000 each! No... it's Ontario near Los Angeles!" Happy face.
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| From Ashes To New, Reno, NV |
Talk to Matt Brandyberry and you talk with a young man who has pushed through and proven himself through hard work and persistance, whether it be on the sports field or life challenges. That's the backbone of
From Ashes To New's lyrics, and the bands name too. He's frustrated with how things that should be serious--like schoolkids committing suicide--have today become somewhat accepted and the norm. That, in itself, is unacceptable. He's frustrated with seeing people give up, lose faith in themselves. Every one of us can prove themselves. Never give up. Never...
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| Chris Musser, From Ashes To New |
Don't miss
From Ashes To New. This band is going far. For all the tour dates, see
the tour page on the band's website. And for more info, see Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FromAshesToNew or the website
http://www.fromashestonew.com/
More photos from this show in the
From Ashes To New photo gallery. Or just click on any of the images in this post.
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