Crystal Buchberger
ANBERLIN
w/ The Dangerous Summer + Copeland
3/29/25 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
©Crystal Buchberger
Walking around the corner of an old brick building, I could see a bright yellow and red sign hanging in front of me that read “The Rave.” Tonight’s show highlighted Anberlin’s “Never Take Friendship Personal” 20th Anniversary Tour. The cold air traveling in from Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan made everyone standing in line tremble and bundle up even more. As soon as the doors opened, you could feel the welcoming, warm air pass through and transport you into a dark entryway. The floors were illuminated in bright red, and rows of barricades led us through the building, past Will Call, and then straight into the concert hall. The crowd was slowly filling up the floor as I looked for all of the merch booths. Three stalls were set up in the back, surrounded by many long bar counters.
As the time for the concert to start neared, the lights began to dim everywhere except in the direction of the stage. The Dangerous Summer calmly walked out as the crowd cheered. They started their set strong with “Way Down” off Mother Nature. AJ Perdomo’s vocals ripped through the venue.
They thanked all of the friends they made while on this tour, including the other bands. “His second tattoo was an Anberlin tattoo,” AJ Perdomo exclaimed while pointing to drummer Christian Zawacki. Christian tapped at the tattoo on his chest while shirtless so the audience could see it as well. AJ’s mix of smooth and hard vocals ended their set with “Gravity” before walking off the stage.
Check out our concert photos of The Dangerous Summer below:
Between sets, it was easy to see how historical the venue was. The ceiling was elevated to allow for a second floor, where fans could find seated spots, and another bar was located on that level. Copeland‘s set was dedicated to playing the entirety of their 2005 album, In Motion. They didn’t waste any time getting started as they danced their way onto the stage.
“This is some pop rock from your friend’s MySpace page that you heard one time,” Aaron Marsh said right before playing “Pin Your Wings.” Their upbeat rock sound transports you back to the early 2000s. “They’re some of the oldest friends in the industry, and some of my oldest friends period,” Aaron said while talking about the friendship made between Copeland and Anberlin. Their friendship was established early on in their career as they grew up in neighboring towns. Copeland played their final song, “You Love to Sing,” before dancing back off stage.
Check out our concert photos of Copeland below:
Anberlin’s set was up next, and the room went completely dark. You could barely make out their silhouettes as the crowd started screaming with anticipation. Small vertical lights scattered around the stage started flashing hues of green, red, and blue. The band brought all their energy, excited to see how large the crowd was. “20 years of this album. You are all showing up like this. It’s insane,” Christian McAlhaney said while talking to everyone who came out tonight.
They then proceeded to pound out their entire Never Take Friendship Personal album. Some fan favorites were “Paperthin Hymn,” “The Feel Good Drag,” and “A Day Late.”
Anberlin’s newest member, Matty Mullins, took over lead vocals. His strong voice easily complimented the entirety of the 20-year-old album. “I also want to thank you for coming out to celebrate these 4 beautiful humans that made this record,” Matty said. His words expressed gratitude for all members, including their member currently on ‘hiatus,’ Stephen Christian. Anberlin’s performance amped up the crowd enough for them to immediately start screaming, “One more song!” before all of the band members even made it off stage. Of course, they appeased the fans and pounded out a few more songs, closing with “Godpseed.”
Check out our concert photos of Anberlin below:
As I was leaving the concert floor, a long line was forming in front of Anberlin’s merch booth at the back right corner. The crowd left feeling content. Pushing my way towards the exit, I found myself back outside where the air was crisp and multiple food stalls lined the streets. Everyone stopped for bites to eat before heading to their cars and going back home.
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