Nothing More Unleash Spirits In Evansville

Nothing More has been a force in the music industry for some time now. Singer Jonny Hawkins once said to me “everyone has a story, this is how I tell mine.” That was back in 2016 in a small venue that barely held a few hundred people. Fast forward to 2023, Nothing More is now able to tell their story to crowds of tens of thousands. It’s a remarkable achievement as well as a remarkable story, to say that the audience in which can now experience the live show of this band has expanded over time.

Nothing More was formed in 2003 and had their breakthrough record debut in 2014 with their self-titled album. Marking the beginning of a consistent stride that would continue over the course of the next 7 years, Nothing More built up a legacy for music fans to come to expect deep lyrics and the most insane live show you can imagine.

The band had previously had to cancel their last trip around the sun in Evansville due to severe weather last year, so they had a chance to make it up to the Indiana faithful. Bringing along bands Dyne Side, Thousand Below & Crown The Empire. This one was going to be a momentous occasion!

Dyne Side opening up the show in Evansville

First up are Florida natives Dyne Side. This was the first show of their part of the Spirits Tour. Coming out hot with a Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave type sound, the band came out swinging. No one saw this band coming and that’s one of the things that made their performance work so well. Discovering (new to me) bands at shows is one of my favorite things to do, so once Dyne Side’s set was over I made sure to hop over to their Merch table and learn what I could about the band and also buy some sick stuff!

Thousand Below is a band that I had heard of prior to this show but honestly never checked out. For me it was like looking forward to a good movie and avoiding any spoilers or trailers, going in blind and hoping for the best. This paid off in a major way as Thousand Below would absolutely floor me to the point where after I was done taking their photos, I stood side stage and enjoyed the hell out of their set.

Thousand Below in Evansville

Crown The Empire was up next, a band I had heard a few songs of on Octane over the last few years. When their music hit I was sucked in from start to finish. Crown The Empire had me banging my head and essentially, coming out with some blurry ass photos due to the amount of head banging and attention I was giving from the photo pit. Alas, I was able to capture what I needed but was not done as the band would go on to put on one of the most impressive live performances I’ve seen by a band in many years. Bassist Hayden Tree was a great surprise of a singer with the stage presence of a titan, complementing vocalist Andy Leo in a way that was unexpectedly memorable for me personally. Crown The Empire consumed what energy I had left at that point and somehow I was still going midway through the set. I suspect big things are on the horizon for the band when they release their new record ‘DOGMA’ April 28th.

Crown the Empire in Evansville

The final act of the night was due up. Nothing More had a night to remember planned from the get go and it was obvious, the way they opened with “Spirits” which I hadn’t heard in a couple weeks and the way that song ended pretty much set the tone for the remainder of a monstrous set here in Evansville. Hawkins was grateful and displayed levels of humility in between songs by thanking Evansville for being patient for them to return. Making their way through a 17 song set that didn’t feel long enough for die hard fans, Nothing More captivated and carved a new memory for fans of live music on this night at Victory Theatre. As always the band would enlist the help of the infamous Scorpion Tail contraption which is one of the most unique stage pieces I’ve seen used. I remember seeing it in its early stages way back in 2016 in Louisville, having gone through some modifications and many tours, the Scorpion Tail was still incredible to watch Jonny Hawkins perform with. Looking out at the sea of faces in the crowd, I had a blast seeing the various reactions to the band’s performance. If you have never seen this band live, you’re truly missing out.

Nothing More can be seen on the Spirits Tour 2023 at these tour dates with tour mates Thousand Below, Crown The Empire and Dyne Side

Photo Gallery: Nothing More - All photos by Brandon Scott Hanks