LIVE REVIEW: NOTHING MORE at THE CRITERION IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OK on MAY 14, 2022

Photos and Review by: Allyssa Arens

Lineup: Nothing More, Atreyu, Eva Under Fire

Date: May 14, 2022

Location: The Criterion, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Nothing More is officially back on the road after taking a touring break to write a new album that happened to coincide with the touring industry’s extended downtime, and the time off definitely did not hurt them. Their live performance is just as strong as ever, and it was obvious that they had missed the stage as they put on an electrifying show at the Criterion in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Saturday, May 14, the second show of their current co-headlining run with Asking Alexandria.

If you are planning to come to any shows on this tour, be sure to get there early, as openers Eva Under Fire are not to be missed. Singer Eva Marie stunned the crowd with her powerhouse vocals. Their set was brief but mighty as they warmed up the crowd with tunes such as recent singles “Blow” and “Heroin(e)”, plus a couple of others, before closing with a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways”. 

Next, rock scene veterans Atreyu kept the energy levels high as they rocked through a career-spanning set ranging from earlier hits like “Becoming the Bull” to more recent crowd-favorites such as “The Time is Now” and “Warrior”. They did a fantastic job of keeping the all-ages crowd engaged and having a great time.

Finally, Nothing More hit the stage, and they immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the room as they kicked things off with “Turn It Up Like (Stand In the Fire)”, their first new single since 2017. During this song, they also brought out their infamous “Scorpion Tail” drum contraption earlier in the set than they would previously, one of the many things that makes Nothing More’s live set stand out from the rest. Afterward, their set featured multiple songs from their previous two albums, including longtime setlist mainstays such as “Christ Copyright”, “Go to War”, and “Do You Really Want It”. Even when playing some of their more emotionally heavy tracks such as “Jenny” or “Fade In/Fade Out”, they are able to captivate their audience like no other. They closed with their 2014 breakout single “This Is the Time (Ballast)”, a track that in my opinion should be ranked among one of the top rock tracks of the era when we look back in a couple of decades.

In my opinion, Nothing More is one of THE best live rock bands out there right now, and in the multiple times I’ve seen them since their breakout in 2014, Saturday’s performance was no exception. They have a stage presence and chemistry amongst bandmates that translates to an extremely high energy and well-crafted live show as guitarists Mark Vollelunga and Daniel Oliver, and drummer Ben Anderson, shred on their respective instruments while frontman Jonny Hawkins belts and screams with a vocal tone that sounds unlike any other, and I hope they are able to continue rocking faces off for years to come.

To see if Nothing More is coming to an area near you soon, check out their tour dates here.