Forever On Your Side Tour 2018: NEEDTOBREATHE and JOHNNYSWIM in Raleigh NC
“Thank you for joining us here. Tonight we’re going to play every song we know,” exclaimed lead vocalist Bear Rinehart. And that they did. NEEDTOBREATHE played an astonishing 23-song set to a nearly (if it wasn't actually) sold-out crowd.
Prior to NEEDTOBREATHE taking the stage, the crowd was treated to two equally talented artists. First was the young singer-songwriter Billy Raffoul, from Los Angeles, CA. His gritty and at times soulful voice is something so unique you couldn't help but be captivated by his performance. And following him up was a duo from Los Angeles, known as JOHNNYSWIM.
Those that are fans of the headliners will most likely already know of JOHNNYSWIM, as they were featured on the title track of NEEDTOBREATHE's most recent release, and namesake of the tour, 'Forever On Your Side'. The couple showed off their on-stage chemistry as they performed in front of their band, they would smirk when they made eye contact as if they were two strangers glancing at each other from across a room. Their unique mix of music styles was a great twist on a typical duo where the vocals are dominated by one or the other. Some songs were lead by Amanda Sudano and some lead by Abner Ramirez, while other songs they had a nice back and forth trading of vocal lead. The duo played through the rain, and once the rain cleared, they stepped off the stage to perform down with the crowd.
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As the sun set and the crowd did their best to dry off from the rain, the lights went off and NEEDTOBREATHE's introduction began to rumble the bodies anxiously awaiting their entrance. The members of the band walked out to a roar from the crowd and dove right into the night's set, and with a set list as long as their's you can't waste any time.
NEEDTOBREATHE put on an absolutely incredible and moving live show. The first time I saw them a few years ago I had never even listened to any of their songs and I was blown away by their performance. Their fans are also extremely dedicated and some of the most involved fans when at the concert. After I put my camera away, I walked around the venue and everywhere I went there were large groups of people jumping and singing to each other while the band played. There was so much joy and living the moment which is so unusual these days at a concert. Typically the crowd is full of phones being held in the air, videoing the songs. The band that comes from South Carolina must feel right at home no matter where in the world they are.
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Not only are their performances top-notch, but their lighting and stage setup is always equally impressive. On this particular tour, they were backed by large video boards and vertical strips of lights that were reminiscent of a pipe organ. The lights flickered and hypnotized as they burned through the first 14 songs; including "Hard Love", "Feet, Don't Fail Me Now", "The Outsiders", and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Bossa Nova Baby" which guitarist Bo Rinehart took the lead on vocals for as Bear left the stage.
At that point, the tone of the show changed as they transitioned into slower tempo acoustic show. The stage went dark and lead vocalist/guitarist, Bear Rinehart, reappeared on the raised platform at the back of the staged now donned in a shimmering 'rinestone' jacket. As the spotlights shined on him, beams of light reflected off of his jacket in all directs in the same way light reflects off of a disco ball. After a short four song break from the big light and sound show, they went right back at it and ended their set with "Forever On Your Side" and were joined on stage with JOHNNYSWIM before ending the night officially with a couple encore songs including one of the biggest fan favorites "Brother"
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If you ever have the chance to see this band live, I would highly recommend it. There are still plenty of dates left on the Forever On Your Side Tour:
Aug. 24 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 25 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
Aug. 26 - Indianapolis, IN - Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
Sept. 04 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
Sept. 05 - Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Sept. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - Minneapolis Armory
Sept. 08 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sept. 09 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
Sept. 10 - Lincoln, NE - Pinewood Bowl Theater
Sept. 12 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sept. 14 - Portland, OR - Portland Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sept. 15 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
Sept. 16 - Abbotsford, BC, Canada - Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre
Sept. 18 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
Sept. 19 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Sept. 21 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Sept. 23 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
Sept. 27 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
Sept. 28 - Irving, TX - Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
Sept. 29 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sept. 30 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf
Oct. 02 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
Oct. 04 - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Oct. 05 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
Oct. 06 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Oct. 07 - Charleston, SC - Volvo Car Stadium
Get your tickets for one of the remaining dates HERE
NEEDTOBREATHE is Bear Rinehart (Lead vocals/Guitar), Bo Rinehart (Guitar/Banjo/Vocals), Seth Bolt (Bass/Vocals), Josh Lovelace (Keyboards/Vocals)
