Rocketown’s White Building in Nashville has been home to pop-punk legends such as; Set It Off, Knuckle Puck, Metro Station, and Hawthorne Heights. But on July 28th, Rocketown was home to legendary rockers, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, who are fresh off the heels of their newest release The Awakening and opening eyes across the country to their newest debut. Joining them on their “tour de force” were newcomers RIVALS, whose lead singer Kalie Wolfe, kicked ass despite microphone problems. If anything, the microphone issues encouraged Wolfe to “bring it” and captivate the local crowd; by amping up RIVALS’ already high energy set.
Not to be bested by their tour partners, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus came out swinging with “Fighting Everything;” the band’s latest single from The Awakening. Followed by “Waiting;” a classic off their 2006 album Don’t You Fake It. This medley of new and old songs was planned from the jump; as lead singer Ronnie Winter announced that The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ set list was a “rotation of new and old.” The performance was welcomed within Rocketown’s aptly named “White Building;” as the fans packed inside were a conglomeration of die-hard RJA fans and brand-new RJA fans. Both of which were treated to a unique and genuine experience; as the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus tore up the rule book on what’s expected of legendary rockers. Instead of following decorum by performing an up-tempo song after “Cat & Mouse” [a ballad off Don’t You Fake It], The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus launched into a powerful rendition of “Your Guardian Angel.”
The reason for breaking these long-standing traditions? Because “with a name like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, we don’t really care about that.” Instead, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus cared about reaching out to fans through their music; by performing songs which meant something. Songs which carried weight and meaning to individuals interspersed throughout the crowd. An example of such, was The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ “Face Down;” which depicts the horrors of domestic abuse and one women’s journey to freedom from abuse. A topic which affects close to 10 million individuals annually within The United States alone (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).
When phones lit up across the audience upon hearing the first few notes of “Face Down” it was no surprise but a somber realization; as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus [an RIAA Platinum Certified and Billboard Charting Artist] opposed the “sex, drugs, Rock’n’Roll” script and instead opted for a performance which was raw, genuine, real.
Which in the end, is what makes The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus legendary.
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