Most of the Legends Arising crew went to see Touche Amore play at Tivoli De Helling, in Utrecht (NL) last night. The band is accompanied by Pianos Become The Teeth on this tour, although local act Screw Houston, Start Screaming opened the night. We had a great night out, and came up with 8 reasons why you should see the band on tour as well.

1. Touche Amore couldn’t have wished for a better support act than Baltimore’s Pianos Become The Teeth. Although the audience didn’t really get into it, I was hooked as soon as the first note dropped, and vocalist Kyle Durfey started singing. The band produces a pure blast of emotional rage, supported by dreamy yet powerful and deep chords. Check the first part of their set below.

2. Tivoli De Helling is far from an ideal hardcore venue, and the high stage forms an awkward barrier between the band and the crowd. Both support acts put great effort into getting the audience going, sadly without any results. However, when Touche Amore kicked off the first song, the high stage didn’t hold people back from stage diving, neither from climbing on top of each other, reaching for Jeremy Bolm’s microphone. One kid even broke his elbow at tonight’s show. The passion driven music from Touche Amore proved itself once more – the band can handle any stage, in any condition.

3. The guys played a brand new, 3+ minute song, which combines old-school hardcore and 90’s emocore in an amazing way.

4. The rest of the set list is a great blend of old and new songs, satisfying everyone’s wishes.

5. When you’re looking for a hardcore act that outweighs the typical 3-chord songs, 2-step breaks, and the “hardcore as it’s supposed to be” sound, Touche Amore will do the job. The exploding drums of Elliot Babin and technical diversity of guitarist Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt are even more convincing than on their previous two full-length records – even though Parting The Sea Between Brightness and Me was recording live. The band goes back to the core of making music, and that is to bring an emotional message across, and simply playing good music.

6. Touche Amore’s lyrics in general are very meaningful and emotion filled. Everything the band has written so far just hits me, and it would probably easier for me to describe my emotions through their songs, than to find the words myself. Bolm’s screams deliver those emotions perfectly during the live sets. Check out the first part of their set below.

7. Sincerity. The guys are genuinely some of the nicest, down-to-earth, and gracious people in the world to talk to. You notice their appreciation for showing up, showing it on and off the stage. They’re always around before and after the set. “We play music because we love to play music. Whether it’s for 10 people to 10.000. We are thankful anyone is present at all” – stated vocalist Jeremy Bolm in a recent blog post.

8. Although it’s not a primary reason, Touche Amore never seizes to amaze with their merch. They somehow always come up with nice tour-exclusive designs. And most important, you can support the band more than anything by buying something small like a patch, CD or t-shirt.

Words by Laurens Kleine, Niels Koster and Tim van Reyswoud.

Photos by © Anne Carolien Köhler • www.facebook.com/annecarolienkohlerphotography