"We Like it Quiet": Review of Sleeping with Sirens' acoustic tour

BY RACHEL UNGOS

I attended the show on June 18, 2015 at the Ottobar in Baltimore, Md. In order to be in the front row, I arrived at the venue at 10 a.m. and there were still about six people in front of
me already waiting. 

The wait was long and boring, but the show itself definitely made it worthwhile. Nick Santino (former frontman from A Rocket to the Moon) kicked off the concert with a few of his own acoustic songs. Santino was a very humble performer and made a point to describe what each of his songs were about before playing them. This definitely made him see more amicable and easy to relate to. 

Next, The Summer Set came onstage and played a handful of songs. Their set was entirely acoustic as well but still managed to incorporate the fun, upbeat energy that many of their songs possess. Lead singer Brian Dales encouraged the audience to sing, clap, and dance along to the music.

Finally, Sleeping with Sirens took the stage and the crowd went wild. The group played a mix of new and old songs, including the popular "If You Can't Hang," which is not a typically acoustic (or "quiet") song. They also played covers of "Santeria" by Sublime and "Iris"by the Goo Goo Dolls. The entire band played most of the songs, though there were a few moments where singer Kellin Quinn was accompanied only by guitarist Nick Martin.

One of the big themes for the night seemed to be jokes and banter. Between songs the guys were talking with each other and cracking jokes left and right. One that seemed to stick through the night was drummer Gabe Barham getting the audience to shout his name. 

However, there were a couple of very serious moments during the show. The first one was when Quinn stopped in the middle of a song when he noticed that a girl in the audience had passed out. He called for security to help her our of the crowd, then proceeded to lecture the audience on the importance of drinking water when attending a show. Then, their crew brought out several bottles of water and started passing them around the audience to whoever needed them. 

The next serious moment of the show was Quinn's speech about suicide before playing their song, "Better Off Dead." He expressed concerns about hearing of suicide and depression so often in the music scene's fanbase. Yet, he preached the importance of everyone acknowledging their own role in recovering from depression and suicidal thoughts, rather than crediting a band or singer for "saving" them. 

Overall, the show was a great experience. The vibe was more intimate and personal, and even though it was entirely acoustic, the energy level was at an all time high. Sleeping With Sirens proved that although the music may be quiet, the energy can still be loud.