Dayseeker brought heart-wrenching post-hardcore to a sold out Grinders

Dayseeker. // photo by Jason Colvin

Dayseeker

with North Lane, Wind Walkers, and sace6

Grinders KC

Saturday, May 16

On Saturday, May 16, Dayseeker brought their “Pale Moonlight Tour” to Grinders KC in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City. It was a hot and humid night as fans of all ages came out to the sold-out show. In support of their most recent album, Creature in the Black Night, Dayseeker brought with them a top-notch lineup of openers that included Sace6, Wind Walkers, and North Lane.

sace6. // photo by Jason Colvin

Grinders was already filling up with the sold-out crowd when the Northeast-bred band sace6 took the stage to kick things off. The innovative, pop/alt-metal band was formed in 2024 by sace. and Noah Thomas. With them on drums for the tour was Tyler Saxz. The band dropped a six-song set showing off songs from their recently released debut LP, Brutalist. Sace6’s genre is hard to place, yet the fans were loving every minute of the set. They effortlessly mix rock, modern R&B, emo, and metal to create a melodic yet aggressive sound. When I said they kicked things off, I quite literally meant just that, as they energized the crowd with not only their sound but physical performance. Sace and Thomas regularly were up off their feet, jumping and spinning around. Thomas delivering a full 360-jump kick in between delivering his emotional vocals. As a first-time listener, I immediately went and added their album to my Apple Music library. I am looking forward to seeing more from this band.

Wind Walkers. // photo by Jason Colvin

Wind Walkers took the stage next as space at Grinders had become limited as people packed in. The five-piece Massachusetts band features Corey Prokowiew on vocals, Nick Crampton and Anthony Ragucci on guitars, Jacob Dupuis on bass, and Justin Tharau on drums. Formed in 2017, Wind Walkers has been rising in the post-hardcore community with a sound that is characterized by heavy and intricate guitar riffs, melodic choruses, and emotional lyrics.

In 2018, Wind Walkers released their debut album “The Lost Boys,” which received positive reviews and helped them gain a following in the post-hardcore community. They followed up in 2020 with their second album “The Shadow Thieves,” which showcased their growth as musicians and songwriters. This night, they kept the fans engaged playing through an eight-song set that was split between their 2023 LP What If I Break?, as well as last year’s EP I Don’t Belong Here.

North Lane. // photo by Jason Colvin

The sun was setting, but the heat and humidity were still high as Australian metal-core rockers Northlane hit the stage next. Forming in 2009, the longest-running band of the night, is made up of multi-instrumentalist Jon Deiley on guitar, bass, drum pad, and programming; Josh Smith on guitar, drummer Nic Pettersen, and vocalist Marcus Bridge. They have released six studio albums, with three of their albums winning the Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album ARIA Award (the Australian equivalent of a Grammy) and two others nominated over the years. Their strong fanbase was evident as the crowd sang along to favorite songs and gave roars of approval when engaged by Bridge.

Deiley delivered out-of-this-world guitar riffs while mixing in otherworldly synth beats from behind his glowing eyes. Bridge also stood out with his stylish baggy red pants while delivering his kaleidoscopic vocal mix. During their third song of the night, the newly released single “Evian,” things heated up to the point where they had to stop as a fan not far from the stage went down. Was it the heat of the night or the blazing performance Northlane was pumping out? Maybe both.

However, this is an ideal time to remind concertgoers that we can officially say we are in summer concert season, and it is important to stay hydrated. Sorry to say, alcoholic drinks do not count. Please drink plenty of water, especially at these outdoor shows. The fan got the help needed, and the band was ready to return to the momentum of their performance. Their set culminated in a quadruple jam of “Worldeater/Dispossession/Jinn/Solar,” as a through-the-years retrospective. Crowd surfers rode upon waves of hands to the front until Bridge announced they only had one song left for the night. As the song “Clockwork” starts with the lyrics, “I’m running out of time,” it signaled the Aussie rockers were about to call it a night to the dismay of fans who would have been eager for more from this always evolving band.

Dayseeker. // photo by Jason Colvin

To no dismay, the sun was fully set, and it was time for the night’s headliners, Dayseeker, to take to the stage. The stage had been reset as a large casket was now centered toward the back of the stage. Flowers and grass stood tall around the stage, and vines of ivy wound through various parts of the stage. The lights went out as a large LCD screen at the back of the stage lit up macabre graphics. Soon, lead singer Rory Rodriguez graced the stage, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Band members Ramone Valerio on bass, Zac Mayfield on drums, and newly added guitarist Mitch Stark joined him, and they kicked right into the tour’s namesake, “Pale Moonlight.”

Dayseeker. // photo by Jason Colvin

Dayseeker is touring in promotion of their most recent album, Creature in the Black Night, released in the fall of last year. The album marks their sixth full-length release since forming in Orange County, California, in 2012. They have been steadily gaining popularity and growing success as they continue to grow and evolve their musical style of post-hardcore metal with an array of other genres such as emo, alternative rock, and synthwave. All these styles and influences could be heard through the night’s set, highlighted by Rodriguez’s dynamic vocals. Defined by soaring, melancholic clean vocals, aggressive mid-range screams, with smooth, effortless transitions, he delivers heart-wrenching lyrics focusing on themes of heartbreak, grief, addiction, and mental health.

Their performance was filled with memorable moments, one of which was when they transitioned into one of the new album’s songs, “Forgotten Ghost,” by covering My Chemical Romance’s “The Ghost of You.” Marcus Bridge from Northlane joined the stage to help with vocals for “Bloodlust.” For the song “The Living Dead,” sace6 vocalist Noah Thomas helped provide vocals, while Rodriguez did double duty on vocals and keyboard.

They went on to close out with two top singles, the title track to the new album “Creature in the Black Night,” and the song that initially introduced me to the band, 2019’s “Sleepwalk.” Rodriguez encouraged fans to sing along as the emotional lyrics were belted into the open air of what had become a beautiful night. The band left the stage, but Grinders stayed packed as fans awaited an encore. They returned to the stage and flawlessly delivered another song from the past with “Neon Grave” from the 2022 album Dark Sun.

Dayseeker crowd. // photo by Jason Colvin

As the tour continues to sell out shows nationwide, Pale Moonlight continues to rule the airwaves with “Crawl Back To My Coffin,” earning the Billboard No.1 spot on Mainstream Rock Airplay. Sleeptalk has also just reached RIAA gold certification, marking a significant milestone for the band. With their growth on the streaming charts and commercial success of the new album, expect Dayseeker to continue to earn their spot in fans’ hearts, minds, and playlists.

All photos by Jason Colvin

Dayseeker

Dayseeker setlist
Pale Moonlight
Shapeshift
Dreamstate
Burial Plot
Crawl Back to My Coffin
Homesick
The Ghost of You (My Chemical Romance cover)
Forgotten Ghost
Bloodlust (with Marcus Bridge)
Without Me
Crying While You’re Dancing
Nocturnal Remedy
The Living Dead (with Noah Thomas)
Creature in the Black Night
Sleeptalk
—
Neon Grave

North Lane

North Lane setlist
Carbonized
4D
Talking Heads
Evian
Dante
Welcome to the Industry
Worldeater/Dispossession/Jinn/Solar
Clockwork

sace6

sace6 setlist
Nepenthe
Ego
Allured
Covet
Devotion
Perfidy
Wind Walkers:
Drowning Hymns
The End Aesthetic
Silk & Static
Eating My Heart Out
Dead Talk
Hereditary
Bodybag
Hangfire

Wind Walkers