Concert Review: Bad Omens with Beartooth and President at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

The career trajectory of artists and groups in the alternative music scene are always fascinating studies, and Bad Omens journey might be one of the more interesting to glance at in recent memory. The band has been grinding it out since 2014, steadily releasing albums and touring as the first or second support on bills, but it was their 2022 album The Death Of Peace Of Mind that put them on the map outside of the core fanbase. In the last few years, Bad Omens’ career has received a massive boost thanks to a steady touring schedule, TikTok, and a deserved recognition of their skill among every aspect of their work. Their live show has also steadily increased in relation with the scope of their work, moving from headlining small clubs and bars in 2020 (the Hartford show of this tour being my final show before Covid-19 became the headline of every news article) to selling out arenas across the USA on their Do You Feel Love tour. I found myself in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center looking forward to seeing how Bad Omens’ live show evolved alongside their material. 

Lead singer Noah Sebastian took to the fog-filled stage with the recent single “Spectre,” with the crowd echoing the tour’s titular lyric “Do You Feel Love” throughout the Prudential Center. Between explosive pyro and cryo guns, the stage production style rivaled that of the heavyweights in the metal scene, with the following track “Glass Houses,” an early favorite from the band’s discography, bringing a new level of intensity. Part of what made The Death of Peace of Mind so exciting from the jump is its sneakily diverse pool of songs to choose from, each of which fit a certain mood. Between the dance oriented “what do you want from me,” ballads like “The Grey” and “Just Pretend,” and the mosh-ready anthems like “Nowhere To Go” and “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE,” you get the best of whatever world you came into the arena to see. However, there’s nothing like Bad Omens ending their set with the monster of a track from Finding God Before God Finds Me, “Dethrone.” 

Bad Omens’ ascent to the top of the heavy music scene has been fantastic to watch, and with the reception of the Do You Feel Love tour, there is nowhere for them to go but up. You can check out their music here.

The direct support slot for the Do You Feel Love tour went to the stalwarts of the heavy rock world Beartooth. Caleb Shomo is the prime example of a true scene veteran thanks to his decades long career in music, whether it was pioneering a style of “crabcore” that gave another spotlight on the alternative music scene in Attack Attack! or playing to massive crowds of hard rock fans in Beartooth. The band capped off their immensely successful album cycle for The Surface about a year ago with a triumphant show in their hometown arena, and they have returned with a continued sense of positivity and relinquishment with their latest single “Free.” Written by Shomo and produced by Jordan Fish, the track highlights Caleb’s ability to move through the noise and feel less shackled by the burden of his worries. 

Shomo has always been a fantastic frontman to watch, but the physical space on the stage and his even greater passion to communicate his message gave him an energy that felt just as vibrant as it did the first time I saw them over six years ago. Beartooth’s set focused on key tracks from The Surface, opening with the grand statement of “Might Love Myself” and moving directly into their early hit “In Between.” What keeps the group’s live performance fresh is the legitimate banter Shomo brings and the key changes on the live versions, eliciting a new relationship with tracks like “Disease,” feeling more uplifting with the switch from a minor to a major key live. Beartooth pulled from various corners of the discography, including tracks from Disease like the title track and “You Never Know,” and the crushing, anthemic ripper “The Past Is Dead” from 2021’s Below. A lot may change within album cycles, but Shomo’s calls for everyone to jump before going into “The Lines” will never be one of them. The support from the front of the crowd was undeniable, showing how the physical presence of support will always feel more powerful in the moment than the strangers online who only want to tear artists down.

Beartooth has become a force of positivity in a world bent on drawing out the best in people, and they are just as worth paying attention to now than ever before. You can listen to the new track “Free” here.

In the role of opening support was the mysterious group President, a relative newcomer onto the scene after their explosive debut at Download Festival just under a year ago. The anonymous group plays with incorporating poppier elements like programmed drum beats and hi-pitched sampling alongside furious, downtuned guitars, feeling right at home alongside the current wave of metal bands on the scene right now. The Do You Feel Love tour acted as the group’s first full US tour, and their already impressive fanbase size keeps on growing. Their discography is quite small, so they were able to play all of their recorded tracks within their 30-minute time slot, including their King Of Terrors EP and their latest single “Angel Wings.” Highlights included opener “Fearless,” the slow burn of “Rage,” and closer “In The Name Of The Father.” Singer President silently took to the neon-lit podium during multiple voiceovers, showcasing his commanding presence in the arena without speaking a single word outside of the lyrics.

With the way PRESIDENT’s trajectory is heading, it’s not going to be too long before this band begins to headline these very arenas they are opening in. You can listen to King Of Terrors here.