June 10th, 2026- Dance Gavin Dance performed at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC and it was a sold out night! The tour had three opening bands: Novelists, Wolf & Bear, and Horse The Band. The venue was packed with attendees that were radiating excitement for this event. I’ve been so excited for this tour and being able to get back into the photo pit to capture such an awesome tour, I left the venue filled with adrenaline.
Novelists
When the lights went off a strong, beautiful woman stepped on the stage in a fluffy pink dress and black boots. She had my interest. Once she started screaming, I was hooked! The band Novelists stepped onto the stage and the attendees at the barricade dropped their jaws due to how eccentric Camille looked in her stage outfit. Novelists is a French metalcore band from Paris and they formed in 2013 with their main album Coda. The bands genre is progressive metal, dance, and electric rock. The performance was memorable and left me speechless from start to finish
Keep up Online: Novelists
Wolf & Bear
Wolf & Bear, a post-hardcore band from Sacramento, California. Since 2013 the band has consisted of the vocalists Marcus Cisneros and Tyler Watt, guitarists Cameron Nunez and Lolie Balazar, and drummer Jacob Koval. They currently have three studio albums. With A Hill to Die On released this year, with a different vibe than the opening band.
The band had such a high energy performance that truly had the crowd locked in from beginning to end. When they started “Twisted Tongue” that’s when the crowd became rowdy and starting shouting lyrics back to the musicians with such urgency. The cleans sounded so euphoric and ethereal that felt liked delicate tears streaming down your face when feeling an intense emotion. There was a balance of chaos, but also times when the crowd calmed down to be able to sing along to the lyrics and then automatically resumed to two stepping in the mosh pit
Horse The Band
Horse The Band was the last band to play before Dance Gavin Dance. It was my first time seeing all of the first three bands. Horse The Band is an American metalcore band from Lake Forest, California, known mostly for their unique sound, which has been referred to as an 8-bit video game sound.
The band had a whole different vibe compared to the first two bands that performed so far that night. “Heroes Die” and “Birdo” was performed and I swear when “Birdo” started; the crowd erupted into a frenzy. During their set; I think that’s when the crowd had the most aggression and the mosh pits never ended. Each song performed felt almost nostalgic in a way and now I understood why so many attendees loves them
Nathan Winneke (Vocals), David Isen (Guitar), Erik Engstrom (Keyboards/Synthesizer), Daniel Puliot (Drums), Jerimiah Brien (Bass).
KEEP UP ONLINE: Horse the Band
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance, the American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The lineup consists of Will Swan (lead guitarist), Matthew Mingus (drummer), Jon Mess (harsh vocalist), Andrew Wells (lead vocalist). Since 2005 Dance Gavin Dance has released 11 full-length studio albums. Three live albums have also been dropped. In the past there has been three previous vocalists. But throughout it all, Dance Gavin Dance has stayed around with their blended elements of post-hardcore, emo, funk, and progressive rock. “Swancore” named by fans. The energy and performance and talent glows with every concert they have. The fans consist of every aesthetic and age.
The performance was filled with infectious grooves which had the crowd dancing and moshing constantly. Watching their set felt like an euphoric experience personally and I noticed the band had a steady momentum which never stopped till the very last song. The following they have gained is constantly growing. This tour has been such an amazing thing to witness. Don’t miss out on the last leg of the tour.