The line snaked down the street as Arizona fans turned out to turn up with Knocked Loose at Marquee Theatre. The heavyweights of hardcore were joined by the return of Gatecreeper, along with Kharma and Magnitude for a fast-paced hurricane of a gig.
Magnitude and Kharma opened the night and the pit, getting things moving early on before the epic homecoming of Gatecreeper. The local legends wasted no time onstage, blasting through a 12-song set that kept the pit roiling for every minute. Crowdsurfers and moshers emerged drenched in sweat before diving right back in for the band’s first Arizona gig in years.
Knocked Loose brought in the rest of the audience, appealing to every corner of the diverse audience. Vocalist Bryan Garris was a force of nature with his high, grating vocals over the band’s fierce riffs. Only three tracks into the set and an attendee was brutally injured in the pit, prompting a pause that had both the band and the fans frozen in concern while medics attended to the situation.
Shortly after, Knocked Loose continued with even more veracity, with songs like “Belleville”, “All My Friends” and “Oblivion’s Peak” whipping the pit into a frenzy once more. People threw themselves into the pit and over the barricade for a chance at a fist bump from Garris as the band closed the main set with “Mistakes Like Fractures”. They soon returned for the big ones, though- never forgetting to put “Counting Worms” on the list.
Fans spilled onto the street, steaming from sweat and the adrenaline of a truly killer hardcore show. With a response like this, Knocked Loose will certainly return to Arizona with a vengeance.
Check out photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
