The Devil Wears Prada @ Summit

On Sunday, November 17th, 2024 The Devil Wears Prada returned to Summit Music Hall in the heart of downtown Denver headlining a sold out show and putting on quite a memorable performance. Greyhaven, Like Moths to Flames and Silent Planet accompanied the band as their supporting acts, as they have throughout their entire US run. During the last portion of their US dates, the group was happy to add SeeYouSpaceCowboy onto the lineup, helping TDWP wrap up their “Is Eternal” tour.

SeeYouSpaceCowboy

I had never listened to or heard of SeeYouSpaceCowboy until the night of the 17th. When the band took the stage, the lead singer immediately caught my eye. Dressed in skinny jeans, a white crop top, a studded belt, and white Vans. She radiated early 2000s scene kid vibes. Her nostalgic style made me happy, as it’s rare to see anyone dress like that anymore. The rest of the band shared a cohesive look. All in white tops paired with jeans, though their styles were less distinct than the lead singer’s.

What truly captivated me were the lead vocals—Connie is a beast! Her screams were unbelievable, especially coming from such a petite person. Female vocalists in hardcore bands always stand out to me, and Connie was no exception. Her raw talent and energy blew my mind, rivaling the intensity of Greyhaven’s set earlier that night. Each performance kept building, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement for the final act.

If you haven’t listened to SYSC yet, they’re absolutely worth checking out. Their talent is undeniable, and while this was my first time seeing them, I know they’re destined for big things. Beyond their music, the band openly advocates for suicide awareness and mental health. Topics deeply resonant with Post Concert Depression’s mission. This added layer of purpose made their performance even more impactful.

Like Moths to Flames

I’d heard of Like Moths to Flames and listened to them a handful of times. But I don’t think I’d ever seen them live. Out of all the openers, they were my favorite. Something about them stood out—maybe it was the lead singer’s subtle jokes. The massive amount of crowd surfing (as much or more than TDWP), or just how good they were. Either way, I really enjoyed their set.

I honestly thought they should’ve been the supporting act. Their energy and stage presence surpassed Silent Planet’s (though SP was still great). The hype they brought felt unmatched, and it seemed like attendees were more familiar with them than the other bands. Maybe that’s why their set felt different—or I could’ve been reading the room wrong. Regardless, the crowd’s energy was on point all night, no matter who was performing.

Silent Planet

Another band I had never heard of before the show and the final set before The Devil Wears Prada. Closing out Summit on that beautiful Sunday night. After witnessing the three bands before them I already knew that this set would be just as wild and the perfect choice to close out the opening acts, which it was. Garrett’s vocals and stage performance along with his bandmates presence and sound were powerful and enticing. He often spoke about mental health issues. He would follow up with a song reflecting what he had just touched on.

Performing an entire set in just his bare feet, he urged the fans surrounding him to engage in moshing and crowd surfing, as those before him had but in a way that was more inviting than anything else. I’m not quite sure how to explain it. With that, he gave thanks to the security guards, who were still working tirelessly to ensure the safety of everyone throughout the night. Attendees supported his gracious thank you by yelling, cheering, and throwing their hands up with claps and fist pumps. It was a beautiful moment and I personally love when band members point out the hard workers of those that make events like this a safe place. SP’s set eventually came to an end, which felt quicker than the others and the stage crew moved quickly to prepare for the set we’ve all been waiting for.

The Devil Wears Prada

I could not wait for this set. After weeks (though I think it was closer to a month) of getting show approvals and not being able to make it because the universe was like “nope, not today” for whatever crappy reason, I was itching for this show. I’m pretty positive the last time I saw TDWP was when they first became a band back in 2005. It was at this little coffee shop called Mojo’s in Orland Park, Illinois. In the very back of this shop was a room, probably meant for office space – that 30 people should have fit in but there was always a little bit more and felt even smaller because there was a couch in there and people always ended up standing up on it during shows because it was impossible to sit. Deep teal blue walls, I’ll never forget that place.

In fact, now that I think more about it I believe The Devil Wears Prada was the first band I saw there. I remember that day like it was yesterday and Sunday’s show will likely be the same twenty years from now. As everyone waited for the band to come out just moments after the venue went dark, I smelt something very familiar. Incense. Am I really smelling incense?? I looked to my left and sure enough I saw one burning. An interesting touch I’ve never seen, or I guess in this case smelt. I wondered why, which I still haven’t come to a conclusion on but I’m super for it. I like the smell of incense and I’m pretty sure it was patchouli which is one of my favorite scents to burn.

Over the years the band’s sound has evolved as music generally does, though the performances compared from then to now were pretty similar – and I mean that as a good thing. I remember the same energy, if not maybe slightly more during Sunday’s set which you wouldn’t think would be as likely given we’ve all aged over the years.

In Mike Hranica’s case, you can still feel that young spirit he had back in ‘05. His stage presence was also impeccable and meshed insanely well with the band collectively. The way they all interacted with each other as well as the many fans in front of them was perfection. There was more crowd surfing during that set than there was the entire night, which was not only expected but deserved. There’d be four to five people up there at a time and they just kept coming. Hands down, it was the rowdiest (but also insanely respectful) set I’ve ever experienced at Summit Music Hall and honestly to an extent I never thought I’d see there.

Their entire set filled me with nostalgia – from the crowd, to the band, to the songs. They played so many of my old favorites and even surprised me with a newer one that I really hoped (but very much doubted I’d hear) which was “Reasons”. They have two versions of this song: EDM with Excision and Wooli and the version of just the band, in which they played the obvious band version. But I still played the drops in my head, went wild and was probably the only one legitimately headbanging and I really didn’t care. I was SO happy they played that song. Anyways. The band ended the night with two acoustic songs, tons of confetti, and a very happy and uplifted crowd.

With each passing set the night got better as everything kept building on to what was already in the air, I loved it. I felt everything was so carefully coordinated to create the perfect blend, flow and buildup of extreme anticipation to close out and end another weekend and Sunday night in Denver. Even though lead guitarist Jeremy DePoyster kept encouraging everyone to call off work the next day since it was a Monday. I wonder how many did and got to enjoy an extended weekend (or day of recovery, whichever it is that’s best suited).