Hometown Christmas Show
This past Friday, From Ashes To New held their yearly holiday Christmas show at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's Harrisburg Midtown Art Center. Joining them for the night were local PA bands: Twist It, What Lies Below, and If Not For Me, making the show a true celebration of the area’s heavy music scene.
In front of a sold-out audience, Twist It was the first band to perform, setting the tone for the night immediately. The audience was enthralled from the first note and the performance was full of enthusiasm and raw energy. Logan Smith's guitar solo in the opening song captivated the crowd and sparked thunderous applause, instantly pulling everyone in. As the set continued, the band’s high-energy presence made it impossible for the crowd to stand still, and before long, crowd surfing became unavoidable as the pit came alive early in the night.
The next act to take the stage was What Lies Below, who made their impact felt instantly. They turned up the volume and pushed the intensity even further, feeding off the momentum left behind by Twist It. From the very first song, a massive mosh pit erupted in the center of the room and continued to grow with each breakdown. The crowd responded to every heavy moment, and crowd surfing persisted throughout the entire performance, showing just how locked in the audience was.
Following them, If Not For Me kept the night’s momentum going without missing a beat. By the time they hit the stage, the crowd was fully warmed up and completely engaged, singing along and matching the band’s energy from start to finish. Their set kept the pit moving and the surfers coming, further proving why they’ve been gaining so much traction in the Pennsylvania scene. Every breakdown hit harder, every chorus rang louder, and the connection between the band and the audience felt effortless as the room continued to build in intensity.
When From Ashes To New finally took the stage, the room was packed wall to wall and buzzing with anticipation. Blending their characteristic new metal sound with elements of rock and rap, the band instantly commanded the audience with a polished yet furious performance. As soon as the first chords were played, the audience exploded, rapping and chanting along to every word. They had an unmistakable stage presence that fed off the enthusiasm of their hometown and returned it tenfold. Between explosive breakdowns, big sing-along choruses, and more somber moments, the set was heavy, personal, and cathartic. Danny Case, the vocalist, had a birthday, and the audience sang him happy birthday. The band did a cover of "All I want for Christmas is you" to close out their set which was a perfect way to send the audience off for Christmas.It was the perfect way to close out the night, further cementing From Ashes To New’s annual Christmas show at HMAC as a must-see event for fans of heavy music in the area.
Photography by Wes Shepherd
