On September 30th, 2023, Dark Divine, a hard rock band from Orlando, Florida, opened for Ville Vallo and Black Veil Brides at the Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was my third time seeing them live, and each time, the band has been phenomenal. This show was no different and was just as high energy as I've come to expect from them.
They started off strong by opening with Drown, my favorite song Dark Divine has put out so far. The audience clearly loved it too, since the crowd's movement was instantaneous. Even though Dark Divine was opening, and many were clearly unfamiliar with the band, they managed to engage the whole audience and keep them that way for their entire set. As someone who's been to many concerts, I can confidently say this is an impressive feat, though one that is certainly deserved. Each Dark Divine show I've been to has had an increase in crowd members specifically there to see them. Indianapolis had the most Reapers (a term fans of Dark Divine refer to themselves as) I've seen so far. During the song Paper Crown, several crowd members jumped around and sang along to the lyrics. Even those who were unfamiliar with the song had a difficult time standing still.
The band was clearly pleased with the crowd's reception, since vocalist Anthony Martinez smiled wide and declared, "Indianapolis, you never disappoint!" Throughout the set, each band member interacted with the audience members, something I always love to see. Jason Thomas, one of the band's guitarists was constant in his fun facial expressions he would direct towards the crowd. Similarly, drummer Triston Blaize was full of energy and was especially expressive. He was on fire all night, never slowing down. Both Robby Lynch, guitarist, and Cory (Scissorhands), their touring bassist, were a little more subdued in their interactions with the audience, but they were still captivating to watch.
My favorite part of Dark Divine is the fact that the band members wear spooky makeup each show. It fits with their theme as a band and adds an extra element to their stage show, which is already excellent. Indianapolis was in for an especially spooky treat since that day, September 30th, marked the one-year anniversary of their EP, Halloweentown's release. They closed their set with this iconic song, and the whole room got to celebrate its anniversary. Every minute of Dark Divine's set was dynamic, and I already can't wait to see them live again. They may be a smaller band at the moment, but I've no doubt we'll be hearing more about them soon.
About Megan Rose:
Megan is a photographer and graphic designer from North Alabama. When she's not
photographing a concert, she's more than likely attending one. Megan loves being creative in all
forms, so getting to combine her love of music, photography, and writing has been like a dream
come true.