Alexisonfire closed out the night of last Saturday, the 26th, on the Adidas Stage at Lollapalooza Brazil – and marked the resistance of heavy music at the festival with an explosive and historic show.
The band's return to Brazil after more than a decade had already included a brutally overwhelming performance in Curitiba and at the Lolla Parties . Sharing the headliner spot with Miley Cyrus , the band had a small audience – certainly the smallest for a headliner in this and other editions – but a loyal and enthusiastic one, from the front row to the people furthest from the stage, with mosh pits and chants that could be heard from afar.
The stage sound, designed to overcome the noise of thousands of people circulating in the area, was the only technical aspect of the performance that needed improvement: with the surrounding area unoccupied, the volume exceeded what was necessary, sometimes even drowning out the voices and instruments.
But Alexisonfire's power had nothing to do with a few extra decibels: the group used all their firepower in a visceral, rebellious, and passionate performance, feelings echoed by the audience in unison in a connection rarely possible at festivals of this size or even solo shows.
To make fair comparisons with acts of the same genre, not even The Strokes and A Day To Remember were able to connect with the audience like Alexisonfire did. With very few cell phones raised, the small crowd was completely present in the moment, burning all their energy in an exorcism led by the band in the universe of that instant.
Seeing the post-hardcore band accompanied by fans on a stage far removed from the effervescence of the rest of Lollapalooza, surrounded only by the night sky at the Interlagos racetrack, creates a post-apocalyptic scenario consistent with the return of live shows after a pandemic and says a lot about the rock and metal community. We may not be many, but we share a powerful and indestructible bond.
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