The Union Underground Show Review
Written by: AJ Gardner
Throwing it back to a time when MTV still played music videos, The Union Underground and SOiL played the final show of their tour with Flaw and RA in Joliet on Saturday, 3/23. The “Back to the 2000s Tour” went out with a bang, leaving fans with a night to remember.
Flaw took the stage first, full of gratitude for the people who got them to where they are now. They took multiple opportunities to thank their fans and crew in between hard-hitting throwbacks, which set the tone for a night full of high energy and spectacular performances. Flaw’s bass player, Joshua Skellett, deserves an honorable mention for his over-the-top energy and ability to draw in audience members in even the farthest corners of the venue.
Next up was RA with more chill vibes. Singer Sahaj Ticotin and drummer Andrew Webb played a set that built energy as it went along, gaining the enthusiasm of the crowd in turn. At one point, Ticotin asked for the smoke machines to be shut off so that he could see the audience better, and this made all the difference. Knowing that the performers they were watching valued connection got the audience all singing along by the final song, Do You Call My Name.
Third in line was SOiL, who decided to break the rules and sing a song that wasn’t from their 2001 album. The crowd didn’t seem to mind though. In fact, they were ecstatic. As the lyrics to "Pride" rang throughout The Forge, it didn’t matter at all that the eras were being jumbled. At the end of their set, singer Ryan McCombs joined the audience in a mosh to sing the band’s final song. This got everybody moving and excited for the highly anticipated main event.
Last, but most certainly not least, was The Union Underground. Right from the start, the crowd was head-banging and jumping around, singing as loud as they possibly could. The band hit the ground running with smoke machines shooting out over the crowd, detailed visualizers on the screens in the background, and heavy-hitting songs from An Education In Rebellion. The band debuted their new song "Faith Collapsing," stating that it was up to the audience to determine whether or not the song will make it to the album. Needless to say, feedback from the audience was overwhelming, and the new song was a hit. If it were truly up to the crowd, you’ll be hearing "Faith Collapsing" on streaming platforms at some point in the near future.
Overall, the show was a huge success, living up to the tour’s title and taking the fans on a trip back to the 2000s. Since this was the last show of this tour, we can look forward to new music from The Union Underground soon and hope for more tours in the future.
