Periphery Sells Out Echo Lounge

It was a brisk, rainy Thursday night in Dallas, and Periphery is getting set to take the stage soon at Echo Lounge. Approaching the venue, you could see the fans parking and others lining up waiting to get inside. It was apparent that nothing would stop this sold-out show and its fans from coming and having a fantastic night of music. The fans did not seem to worry about the cold and rain and were patiently waiting for their turn to get into the doors so they could find their spots inside to watch the show.

Kicking things off for the night was then sensational guitarist Mike Dawes. As time drew closer to begin the show, the fans had already packed the venue, and many were at the front, ready to ride the rail all night. The lights went out, and Mikes’s song began playing. Halfway through the song, the fans started singing it back. Suddenly, Mike appeared from the back of the stage with his acoustic guitar strapped to him. He walked out, introduced himself, and began playing songs. After the first song, Mike introduced his band, which was just him and his guitar. He then explained how he could play Bass, drums, and guitar all at the same time. As he was demonstrating and presenting, he jumped straight into his next song and moved between the sets of risers at the front of the stage, interacting with the audience. He continued through his set, playing his acoustic guitar and having the fans sing along as he played. Toward the end of his set, he was joined on stage by Periphery’s singer Spencer Sotelo, who joined him so they could perform a song together. He finished his last song, thanked the fans, and told them he would return to Texas next year.

As the crew set the scene for Periphery to take the stage, the fans were talking, taking smoke breaks, and buying merch. As time got closer, the fans returned to their places, patiently waiting for their senses to be assaulted by the almighty Periphery! Fans were talking about how they had been waiting to see this band play live. Many were also talking about how happy they were that they could get one of the covenanted spots on the rail at the very front of the venue. The house lights went out, the intro began playing, and the fans applauded! The drummer walked out first and acknowledged the fans as he sat behind his kit on his throne. One by one, the guitarists walked out, followed up by vocalist Spencer, and the crowd erupted again with anticipation of what would come next. The band immediately jumped into their opening song, Ragnarok, and began assaulting our auditory senses with the heavy riffs and thunderous drum strikes. You could hear the packed venue singing along as Spencer performed the song’s lyrics. As Periphery wrapped up their first song, Spencer welcomed everyone to Dallas, Texas, and was glad that they were back after some time. He explained that they would be doing things differently, stopping every couple of songs and explaining what the next song meant and where the band was when it was written. He said the next song would be Facepalm Mute, and now it’s time to rip. They began throwing down some heavy riffs and impressive vocals of the words. The guys in the band took turns walking to the front, showcasing the incredible talent of each of the three guitarists in the band and interacting with the fans. I watched each of them flawlessly play as they moved around and headbanged along with the beat of the songs. As they wrapped up the set’s second song, they quickly jumped into Make Total Destroy, and the audience sang along with all the words, headbanging and moving around as much as possible inside the sold-out show. After the third song, the intro to the next song was playing, and you could tell the fans were waiting to hear it and began applauding as they played. Periphery continued their onslaught of our auditory senses throughout the set. However, they did give us some breaks when they paused to talk about the songs they were playing and give some insight into themselves. They continued playing their incredible set that brought to Dallas for night one of back-to-back sold-out shows. As they finished and wrapped up their last song of the set, Dracul Gras, you could see the fans still wanting more, and you could tell they could be there all night if they continued to play. You could feel the energy and happiness in the room as the fans were happy they witnessed such an impressive show by Periphery here tonight.

This show was the first time I saw Periphery live, and I can tell you it will not be my last. It was awe-inspiring to see them and for them to have three incredible technical guitarists who played flawlessly throughout the entire set. After witnessing this magic on the stage they brought, I could see why they have been continually selling the shows out for the remainder of their tour dates. If you have not been able to witness this live show, check them out when they come to your town.

Words and photos by Craig Youngblood