MEGAN COURTNEY | Culture Editor
Despite only giving fans a little under two weeks notice before announcing a random St. Louis show, the Firebird was packed with a high-energy crowd ready for Sleeping With Sirens on Wednesday night.
The show is the band’s second time back to St. Louis in two months. Last time, the band played at The Ready Room on Manchester Avenue on Aug. 7 on the “Chill Out Summer Acoustic Tour.”
With a small stage and an approximate 400-person capacity, the small space allowed for fans to have a more intimate, up-close and personal experience with the band.
Only 12 songs were played; the opening one being “Do It Now, Remember It Later,” off the band’s 2011 album “Let’s Cheers to This.” The song is a staple of the band’s setlist, usually being the opening song or the closing.
And, as of Wednesday night, according to lead singer Kellin Quinn, the song “Legends” from the band’s most recent 2017 album “Gossip,” will no longer be on the setlist.
Photo by Megan Courtney
Quinn said he was “putting his foot down” after playing the song. He said it’s his least favorite off the album because during the writing process of “Gossip,” he struggled with anxiety and depression.
After the song “Better Off Dead,” which is about suicide and suicidal thoughts, Quinn gave a small speech about mental illness and how nobody notices until it’s too late.
He said people often ask him why he closes his eyes when he sings, and it’s because he doesn’t like looking people him in the eye when he’s performing. He said that he struggles with his anxiety and depression daily but getting on stage and facing his fears to perform for fans makes it a little better.
Complete with dancing, singing, screaming and many phones snapping videos and photos, the band ended the night with the song “Kick Me,” another staple in the band’s setlist.
Fans went wild during the chorus, screaming the chorus back to the band louder than it was being played, and some fans even tried to get a circle pit going within the crowd.
Once the song ended, the lights went down, and Quinn thanked everyone for coming out, later going out to meet some of the fans who stuck around in the cold weather.
