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A Wave of Nostalgia in Harrisburg, PA; Drowning Pool, Saliva, Above Snakes, Thrower, & Lives Lost 5/18 at XL Live

  • Writer: Mark Frahn
    Mark Frahn
  • Jun 3, 2024
  • 8 min read

A wave of nostalgia rolled through Harrisburg, PA on May 18th when the SNAFU Tour came to town. The hard rock and alternative nu-metal bands Saliva and Drowning Pool brought the excitement to XL LIVE along side support bands Above Snakes, Thrower, and Lives Lost. Harrisburg is known for its love of metal so it was only fitting to have this power house of a tour make a stop on the way to Sonic Temple. Throughout the night each band brought their own unique style that got the fans to their feet and wanting more. A notable mention goes to Lives Lost, a Hershey Pennsylvania rock band. They opened the night up with their genre-bending sound and powerful lyrics that got fans moving and ready for a great night of some of hard rocks finest.

 

Lives Lost is an "emotionally charged, high energy, unique Hershey, PA rock band"(https://www.liveslostband.com/), forming in 2020 and fueled by a passion for music and creativity, these guys bring a genre-bending sound utilizing grunge type lyrics, deep metal riffs, and punk rock energy to really create a high intensity atmosphere. As well as their 2023 EP release A Portrait Of Loss, they boast countless singles that showcase their musical talents. Songs like "Champagne", "Let Me Down Slowly", and "Letting Go of Ghosts" all carry deep impactful lyrics with unique hardcore/pop punk styled rhythmic grooves. Their stage presence is incredible and matches the flow of the music, especially their frontman, Tanis Pellegrini who was seen traveling the length of the stage and mingling with the crowd during their newest single "IED." Lives Lost went on to perform their first single "Better Days", a personal favorite of mine and the rest of the fans by their reaction. Their guitarist/vocalist Chad E Wynn also brings the intensity as he was seen jumping and spinning throughout the set, especially during "Let Me Down Slowly" and "Champagne", two of Live Lost's most popular songs. Lives Lost, although "newer" to the industry packs a serious punch and are a force to be reckoned with. Their edgy genre-bending sound plus their high intensity stage presence put the night on course for one epic event.

 

Thrower, an up and coming "loud and energetic" hard rock band from Houston, TX joined the second half of the SNAFU Tour along side Above Snakes. Forming in 2023, this gritty hard rock blend is powered by Isaac Thrower (vocals) and Cole Stratulate (lead guitar), Clay Didway (bass), Jake Douglass (drums), and August Galliano (rhythm guitar). Together they combine hard rock and metal roots to create a sound of their own. Their debut album, Blink, boasts 10 original songs that really blend notes of all styles of rock. Performing songs off the album, the crowd really seemed to get into "Don't Fear The Reaper", "Eye For An Eye", "All I Know" and "Desert Sun", which isn't surprising because of the strong 90s-2000s rock fan base in Harrisburg. They have a strong influence of 90's rock with a bit of other eras sprinkled in here and there to create a unique sound of their own. That aspect about them played perfectly to the crowd at XL Live and they all seemed to enjoy it. They are one of many young bands to be hitting the scene and they are surely one you do not want to miss. Thrower is an excellent addition the SNAFU tour and I'm sure the rest of the fans at XL LIVE would agree.

 

Above Snakes, a fast growing nu-metal powerhouse of a band set the stage a blaze with their high intensity and incredible crowd control. From start to finish there wasn't a soul standing still. Blending rap and metal isn't a new thing, especially nowadays with bands like From Ashes to New, BONE CREW, and Dropout Kings all on the rise, Above Snakes has notably joined the ranks and continues to make a name for themselves. Releasing their debut single "Adrenaline" in 2020 the song began to be recognized by major Spotify playlists like Hopeless Records and Loudwire. Soon after they followed up with another single, "Never Alone" which was placed on Spotify's Hard Rock playlist, marking a turning point in the band's career. They later went on to release two more singles in 2021 and shared the stage with Dropout Kings for their debut live performance. 2022 came and along with it was Above Snakes first full tour with From Ashes to New as well as dropping numerous singles like "The Broken Ones," "Living The Nightmare," and "Down." After performing along side Motionless In White, In This Moment, and Fit For A King to wrap up 2023, they set in motion plans for the 2024 year including new music and of course, the SNAFU tour with Saliva and Drowning Pool. Their set opened up with "Crash & Burn", one of their most popular songs on Spotify, and it was clear the crowd was loving it. Fans were seen rapping along with Johnny Skulls(vocals) as he transitioned to and from his harsh but yet clear sounding vocals. The heavy metal flowed through the band as they went on to perform "Nothing To Lose" and "All In My Head" featuring heavy riffs, unique flows, and pounding bass you could feel in your chest. After a brief pause thanking the bands and fans they went on to perform their final three songs, "Ride & Die," "81 (Thallium)", and "Down". The band, humbled by the crowds reaction, spent time by their merch table meeting all the fans and taking pictures. Above Snakes are gaining more and more traction every day and before long will be a common name next to all the modern nu metal greats.

 

Saliva, a house hold name in the hard rock community, graced our ears in 1996 when they first formed. Joining the industry along side some of the greatest hard rock bands to emerge from the 90's and early 2000's, Saliva had their hands full making that big break. Without the help of modern day perks like Spotify and social media, Saliva had to rely on their talent and well, just like any band, a tinge of luck. They gained local attention after applying and winning the second annual Grammy Showcase National Academy of Recording Arts & Science's local competition and then advanced to the regionals and national finals which gathered even more attention. They released their first self titled album in 1997 followed by Every Six Seconds in 2001, Back Into Your Systems in 2002, and Survival Of The Sickness in 2004. The songs "Click. Click. Boom" and "Your Disease" gained notable attention and even was a song used in the hit movie, The Fast And The Furious. "Superstar", "Sex, Drugs, & Rock 'n' Roll," and "Ladies & Gentlemen", are among fan favorites of the band and has seen notable mainstream achievements like WWE Wrestle Mania 23 official theme song and many TV commercials and shows, like Sony PlayStation. Their career continued on with notable highlights like going on tour with KISS and Aerosmith, touring with Sevendust in 2008, the song "Don't Question My Heart" becoming ECW's official television theme song, and "Bad Ass" was on the SAW3D soundtrack in 2008. Over the years they went on to release more albums and tour with bands like Drowning Pool, Puddle Of Mudd, Saving Abel, and Alien Ant Farm. Although the band has seen some lineup changes over the years and the passing of founding member Wayne Swinny, the band continued on and went on to release a new album recorded over the pandemic called Revelation.

Now on tour with Drowning Pool again, Saliva came out swinging performing some of their biggest hits and even some catchy covers to entertain the crowd. Starting off the set was none other, "Ladies & Gentlemen", which of course got the place fired up. Included in the setlist were "High On Me" and "Crows", both well known gems in their greatest hits collections. They went on to play with the crowd a bit, performing a 3 piece mash up of Michael Jackson(They Don't Care About Us), Eminem(Lose Yourself), and Rise Against The Machine(Bulls On Parade). That was especially neat because it was performed without breaks and sounded like a DJ was mixing it. Fans of all ages were cheering and singing along, including a group of lucky young fans who got the chance to come on stage for "Click. Click. Boom.", talk about making core memories!

 

Drowning Pool, another band formed in 1996 who arose to fame along side Saliva and would become well known among all rock fans. There aren't too many fans out there that wouldn't know who Drowning Pool is. Their heavy and gritty metal sounds paired with the early 2000's hard rock vocals made for a unique nu-metal like sound. With 7 albums, most notably recognized for their debut album Sinner, their follow-up album Desensitized, and their self tiled album in 2010, they have tons of hits spanning many years. Early on in their career they were able to tour with bands like Sevendust, Kittie, and Hed PE which lead to their first signing deal. Their album Sinner went certified platinum within 6 weeks of release, with multiple songs being used in WWE pay per view events and TV shows like Dragon Ball Z. Tragedy struck as the original signer, Dave Williams, passed away from heart disease, but the band continued to push on. Although lineup changes happened, the band kept to their roots and pumped out more records with achievements like the song "Rise Up" being WWE SmackDown's theme song for 4 years, touring with Sick Puppies, Seether, and Saliva. As the years went on they continued to release new music and rereleases of Sinner and a live recording album Loudest Common Denominator. In 2016 they joined the Make America Rock Again Tour that featured many of the early 2000's rock bands including Saliva, Saving Abel, Crazy Town, 12 Stones and Tantric, Fuel, Puddle Of Mudd and P.O.D. With the album Strike A Nerve set to debut, Ryan McCombs rejoins Drowning Pool in 2023 as they continue to tour and explore new music.

When Drowning Pool took the stage at XL LIVE the crowd went insane, talk about a WOW moment! The nostalgia factor was already high after Saliva's set, but DP pushed it to the limits when they came out and started the night off with their song "Sinner"(2001) and followed it up with a run of their biggest songs like "Step Up" (2004), "Let The Sin Begin" (2010), "Enemy"(2007), and "37 Stiches"(2007). They then performed a Billy Idol cover, "Rebel Yell" which was especially neat hearing that song in the Drowning Pools style. The crowd was captivated and entertained with moshpits beginning to form amongst the crowd and incredibly loud sing along moments. Their set continued with "Feel like I do"(2010), and to finish off the night with a bang "Pity"(2001) and their most popular song, "Bodies"(2001). Hearing that song in person brought me back to 2002 when I was sitting on the bus heading to school, and man that was a trip down memory lane. Drowning Pool came and brought the house down with their time traveling set that covered all of their hits and provided their fans with a incredible show that only Drowning Pool could deliver.

 

Final

The SNAFU tour came and went, but the incredible memories of that night will live on forever to the lucky fans who got to witness this intimate styled show with amazing bands. The entire line up consisting of modern day up and coming bands like Lives Lost, Thrower , and Above Snakes and old school rock legends Saliva and Drowning Pool was nothing short of amazing. A perfect blend to captivate old school fans and to bring in new fans with the wide variety of sound and energy. From start to finish the crowds showed the bands their appreciation with their cheers and the bands fed into that, providing for incredible performances by every single one of them.

 

Saliva: Social Media: https://salivaofficial.com/

Above Snakes: Social Media: https://www.abovesnakesmusic.com/


Thrower: Social Media: https://orcd.co/throwerblink


Lives Lost: Social Media: https://linktr.ee/TanispellegriniFull



 
 
 

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