On December 13th and 14th, August Burns Red hosted their annual Christmas Burns Red festival! It was two days packed with ten bands plus August Burns Red headlining each night. This festival has become an annual tradition for me and always a highlight of the year! Between a fan-favorite setlist on night one and playing their album Constellations in its entirety on night two, this festival is every ABR fan’s dream.
Anyway, continue reading below for more photos August Burns Red and my full review of the shows. Be sure to check out August Burns Red’s Official Website for music, videos, news, and tickets for all upcoming tour dates. Images are taken and provided by John Krebs, Carpe Tempus Photography, © All rights reserved.
Night one of this festival had support from Hill Haven, Deadlands, Body Snatcher, Erra and The Devil Wears Prada. Each band built the momentum for a truly explosive performance by August Burns Red. The band came out to “Chop Suey” by System of a Down and ABR jumped into their cover of it. When Jake Luhrs started screaming the very first note, I legitimately jumped because the bass and music was that intense. They continued to perform a mix of fan favorite songs including “Paramount,” “The Eleventh Hour,” “The Frost,” “Empire,” “Backfire,” “The Truth of a Liar,” and “Ghosts.” This 19 song setlist was completely stacked!
The whole night had so many memorable moments from August Burns Red putting the emphasis in “burns” using pyro on many songs, to crowd involvement and constant surfing, and of course, playing their hit Christmas songs! August Burns Red even debuted a new member named Justin Javidson (who if you ask me, just looks like their bass player Dustin Davidson in a shiny jacket… wait a minute…)
August Burns Red definitely knows how to put on an amazing production. They used confetti blasts, CO2 cannons, pyro, and spectacular lights and lasers. I thought the roof was coming down when ABR played “Carol of the Bells” as the start of their encore! I left night one buzzing with excitement for night two!
Night two of Christmas Burns Red had support from If Nor For Me, Orthodox, Boundaries, Gideon, and The Ghost Inside. These bands had amazing sets and got the stage for ABR to tear down the convention center.
Somehow August Burns Red upped the game into night two and out performed themselves from the previous night. They played Constellations in its entirety and the crowd did not stop moving during it! They played the albums twelve songs and then came out and performed a 6 song encore consisting of “Back Burner” (with lots of fire), “Exhumed,” “Defender,” “Winter Wilderness,” and finally “Composure.”
One thing I have always loved about August Burns Red concerts is the constant optimism and positivity that comes from the members. Many times Luhrs talks about struggles and disparity and that you need to fight through them and persevere. I always leave their concerts feeling a little better about myself and inspired to keep fighting the fight.
I had two favorite moments from night two. The first moment was watching ABR perform “Back Burner,” which has always been one of my favorite songs, with full pyro production! I have always loved how the drums and guitar play off of each other in this song and adding fire into the mix created lasting memories.
My second favorite moment was watching all of the crowd surfers. People think metalcore shows are scary, but they are some of the most happiest and supportive people in the world. This is evident in the amount of people crowd surfing, including Mark Frahn, owner of Beyond the Barrier, in his wheel chair! The crowd lifted him up and he was ushered to the front! It was truly amazing!
If you ever get a chance to see August Burns Red live, or make it to their annual Christmas Burns Red Festival, do not even hesitate. The band puts on a remarkable show that will leave you with lasting memories. Below are more images of August Burns Red performing at Freedom Hall in Lancaster, PA on 12/13&14/2024. Images are taken and provided by John Krebs, Carpe Tempus Photography, © All rights reserved. Enjoy!!!
