Theory Of A Deadman: Scars And Souvenirs Tour 2008
June 16^th 2008

Wrote By: Amanda Waschuk (Calgary Correspondent - Canada) 

This three-act show was the definition of entertainment.  Consisting of opening acts Rides Again and Social Code with Theory Of A Deadman, each band brought their own pizzazz for an evening of rock and roll. 

Rides Again was quite the unexpected surprise.  Having never heard of the band, I was unsure as to whether they could compete with Social Code and Theory Of A Deadman, both having loyal fans in the crowd.  But it turns out that they were my favorite of the evening.  A band in its most simple form, Rides Again consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Nathan Peyton, bassist Chad Peyton, and drummer Mike McElroy.  Having just released their first full-length album (Into Existence) in 2007, this is a band to look out for as they are on their way up the charts. All the songs from this rock band are made for radio with catchy guitar riffs and memorable lyrics; and this was proven in Ontario when Rides Again cracked the top 10 on Toronto radio station Edge 102's chart with their single "Infected".

Bursting onto the stage next was Edmonton-based Social Code.  Having seen the band numerous times before, I have grown to expect a great show.  This time around, the sound seemed off for the first few songs; but when Travis Nesbitt and Morgan Gies decided to play pure vocals and acoustic guitar respectively (how they write all their punk-rock songs), it was unbelievable.  This helped them gain momentum as they rocked the rest of the show, finishing with their hit "Beautiful". 

Theory Of A Deadman was the band everyone was there to see. Discovered by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, I always thought the two bands had a similar sound with their deep vocals and catchy rock songs. 

Lead singer Tyler Connelly's voice is captivating and powerful as all eyes were on him.  His stage persona definitely reflected his music: serious.  I made a point of watching to see if he smiled and I saw the deviation from his stern expression about 3 times. But really, the serious expression is suitable given the context of the majority of their songs.  Many of their songs are about relationships gone bad and show a bit of anger issues.  But emotion is what good songs are based on, and the strong feelings show when he sings making the live show that much more intense.

The crowd didn't get going until about five songs in when the moshing began.  To the delight of fans, Theory Of A Deadman played all of their radio hits and the two encores were both from their awesome new album Scars and Souvenirs . 

The bands all complemented each other being from the same genre of new rock and with three great bands in one, this show is a steal!