Underoath’s Define the Great Line is celebrating a momentous milestone in 2026 and the band brought that celebration to Arizona Financial Theatre. The seminal hardcore record marks 20 years of undeniable impact on the genre and the scene as a whole, so the band brought out some friends- Atreyu and August Burns Red- to give the album a proper party.
Atreyu had only a short time to wow the crowd but there was so much energy present onstage that the band made their opening set look effortless. Opening with “Bleeding Mascara” and “Becoming the Bull”, the band made use of flashing lights as the main production while everyone jumped and spun across the theatre’s wide stage. The pit was moving during “Ego Death” before the band made a loud exit to make way for the rest of the acts.
A thick layer of fog preceded August Burns Red’s entrance, shrouding the band in a haze of deep red lights right into the opening riffs of “Composure”. Bodies immediately began flying over the barricade, as the pit was all smiles to match the band’s energy during “Back Burner” and “Behemoth”. Vocalist Jake Luhrs swung his microphone and grinned maniacally at the fans on the barricade, keeping the floor moshing wildly through the end of their energetic set.
Define the Great Line has had some memorable anniversary tours in the past but Monday’s was undoubtedly the largest at the iconic Phoenix theatre. Keeping the stage open and sparse, Underoath instead blinded the room with a stunning array of lights to accompany the full album playthrough. Older fans in the room were transported back two decades, feeling the impact of every song from a record that continues to inspire the band’s contemporaries to this day. The band performed with a spirit that made it feel like the album’s release party, playing 20 year old songs with grateful enthusiasm.
The audience did their part to keep things moving, moshing comfortably in the center of the floor and keeping security on the barricade busy catching bodies being flung towards the stage. After a sprint through the album, the band continued the night with a selection of favorites, eventually bringing things to a close on “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White”. It was a bash worthy of such an impactful album and fans left the building beaming at the nostalgia they were able to live during such a special night.
