August Burns Red x The Amity Affliction: The spring Horizons Tour
August Burns Red and co-headliner The Amity Affliction brought their Spring 2026 tour, “The Spring Horizons,” to Chicago for a night that I’d personally consider unforgettable.
Heavensgate and Boundaries helped round out an absolute heavyweight lineup. The moment I saw this tour announced, I already knew this was going to be a must this year.
The riviera theatre had a line wrapped around the block. people We’re definitely hyped for this one.
The night kicked off with Heavensgate, and the guys in Heavensgate absolutely did not come to play. Right from the start, they turned the energy up to 11 and never let off the gas. From interacting with the crowd, high-fiving crowd surfers, and constantly calling for the pit to open up, they had no problem getting the Chicago crowd warmed up early.
After getting the crowd fully locked in, it was time for Boundaries, the band I was personally most excited to finally see live. I had a few of their songs in rotation for a while now, but never had the chance to catch them in person. Going into their set, my expectations were already high, and somehow they still managed to exceed them.
Then came August Burns Red, another first-time live experience for me. Even though I was familiar with their music beforehand, I honestly wasn’t know what to expect going into their set. I always try to go into concerts as open-minded as possible to really take in the full experience, but all I could think throughout their performance was wow.
From the moment they hit the stage, the entire set was jaw-dropping. Between the insane vocals from vocalist Jake Luhrs and the nonstop energy coming from both the band and crowd, there was never a dull moment. Crowd surfers were flying over the barricade faster than I could count, the pits never slowed down, and at one point I swear I saw someone fully launched through the air. It was pure chaos in the best possible way, and honestly the perfect introduction to seeing August Burns Red live for the first time
The Amity Affliction closed out this incredible co-headlining tour, and for me, this was an experience I honestly could not have imagined. I’ve been listening to The Amity Affliction for years, so finally getting to experience them live felt surreal.
With the recent release of their album House of Cards, the band has taken a much heavier approach to their sound. Vocalist Joel Birch brought an intense level of heaviness throughout the set, while new member Jonny Reeves delivered the familiar clean vocals that longtime fans have come to love from the band.
Opening with “Kickboxer,” one of the heaviest tracks off the new album, immediately set the tone for the rest of the night. From there, they moved through a setlist filled with songs I honestly never thought I’d get the chance to hear live, making the entire performance feel even more special.
Walking out of the Riviera Theatre that night, I honestly just felt grateful. Getting to finally experience a band that has been part of my playlist for years, alongside a lineup that delivered nonstop energy from start to finish, made this a show I know I’ll remember for a very long time.
