Central Florida is back with another successful event with the first-ever HeartSupport Festival in Orlando. This two-day weekend was packed with a fantastic line-up. We managed to catch all the artists on day two of the event, and let me tell you, we are coming back for the next one! Scream out your lungs while accompanied by friends, mental health warriors, and other rock music lovers.
About HeartSupport Festival
HeartSupport was founded in 2006 by August Burns Red’s vocalist, Jake Luhrs. His goal was to encourage people to live with a purpose. Luhrs brings all that love and support to the first-ever HeartSupport Festival this year.
“Several years ago, I had the massive dream of creating an actual music festival to unite bands and fans together to elevate mental health and spread awareness, and that’s actually happening!” said Luhrs. His dream has become a reality!
Reflecting on Day Two
Harm’s Way on the Hot Topic Foundation Stage 2:30 PM
James Pigge: Vocals
Bo Lueders: Guitar
Casey Soyk: Bass
Nick Gauthier: Guitar
Christopher Mills: Drums
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Straight out of Chicago, Illinois, the band Harm’s Way hit the Hot Topic Foundation Stage right at 2:30 PM and had the crowd turnt up! Once the band performed “Infestation,” the crowd went absolutely wild. Overall, the band’s energy woke the crowd up from their exhaustive slump from day one. If you’ve never heard of this band, check out their latest releases below.
Harm’s Way on the Hot Topic Foundation stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
’68 on the BetterHelp Stage 3:10 PM
Josh Scogin: Vocals/Guitar
Nikko Yamada: Drums
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The next band to perform was ’68, from Atlanta, Georgia, bringing the heat up with their American rock duo sound. ’68 Performed on the BetterHelp Stage at 3:10 PM with a spectacularly impressive performance. For them being the first duo act I’ve ever seen live, I never realized a duo act could pull off such an amazing performance live. Vocalist Josh Scogin’s vocals were so crisp and on point, which is what we all need in our lives. This is a band you for sure do not want to miss!
’68 performing on the BetterHelp Stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Four Year Strong on the Hot Topic Foundation Stage 3:30 PM
Alan Day: Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Dan O’Connor: Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Joe Weiss: Bass, Vocals
Jake Massucco: Drums
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All the way from Worcester, MA, Four Year Strong has been going 20 years strong now and really knows how to put out a show! Seeing these guys live made me feel like I was back at the Main Stage at Warped Tour. The band performed bangers like “Get Out of My Head,” ” Go Down in History,” and many more fan favorites! Once the breakdowns hit from “Go Down in History,” the moshes went wild. Four Year Strong’s interaction and movement with the crowd made a sunny day feel like a beach party.
Four Year Strong on the Hot Topic Foundation stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Hawthorne Heights on the BetterHelp Stage 4:00 PM
James Thomas “JT” Woodruff: Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Mark McMillion: Guitars, Vocals
Matt Ridenour: Bass, Vocals
Chris “Poppy” Popadak: Drums
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Bring back all the old Emo tunes. Hawthorne Heights from Dayton, Ohio, played all your favorite classics, such as “Saying Goodbye,” “Pens and Needles,” and “Ohio Is For Lovers.” For the first time seeing them live, my expectations were met. To represent the Sunshine State, the band had a backdrop with an Allegator that said, “Florida is for Lovers.” Hawthorne Height’s set felt like I was back in the early 2000s listening for the first time. Check out their latest album release, The Rain Just Follows Me, below.
Hawthorne Heights performing on the BetterHelp Stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Senses Fail on the Hot Topic Foundation Stage 4:30 PM
Buddy Nielsen: Vocals
Gavin Caswell: Guitar
Jason Milbank: Guitar
Daniel Wonacott: Bass
Steve Carey: Drums
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Coming all the way from Ridgewood, New Jersey, Senses Fail knows how to get the crowd moving. It all started with guitarist Jason Milbank performing the National Anthem with some slick guitar sweeps! With just the first song ending, the crowd wanted more. There was never an instance where there wasn’t a crowd surfer making their way to the front of the row. The band performed songs like “Bite to Break Skin,” “Can’t Be Saved,” and many other bangers. These Jersey boys definitely brought the summer vibes to the event. Make sure you do not miss any updates on their upcoming music. Listen to their latest album release, Hell Is in Your Head, below.
Senses Fail performing on the Hot Topic Foundation Stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Silverstein on the BetterHelp Stage 5:00 PM
Shane Told: Vocals
Paul Marc Rousseau: Guitar
Josh Bradford: Guitar
Billy Hamilton: Bass
Paul Koehler: Drums
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Silverstein played all your favorite emo classics, including songs like “Smashed into Pieces,” “My Heroine,” and “Vices.” This band’s energy was off the charts. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Silverstein perform, but this time I managed to get both perspectives of being with the crowd and watching the rest of the performance backstage. Everyone singing back to the songs was an incredible experience to have seen. As an artist myself, the whole set was an inspiration! Check out Silverstein’s recent album release below.
Silverstein performing on the BetterHelp stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Spiritbox on the Hot Topic Foundation Stage 5:45 PM
Courtney LaPlante: Vocals
Mike Stringer: Guitar
Josh Gilbert: Bass
Zev Rose: Drums
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All the way from Victoria, Canada, Spiritbox was what the crowd was craving. I have never seen this band live, and man, every song was a banger. The band performed songs like “Circle,” Yellow Jacket,” and “Holly Roller,” and they even performed “Hysteria” as the final song of their act. With many surprises, the fans COULD NOT resist. By the second song, everyone in the photo pit and security had to brace themselves for a horde of crowd surfers. The band’s energy with the crowd was immense. It was something I had never seen in my life! Spiritbox is definitely a must-watch band.
Spiritbox performing on the Hot Topic Foundation stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
The Ghost Inside on the BetterHelp Stage 6:30 PM
Jonathan Vigil: Vocals
Zach Johnson: Guitar
Chris Davis: Guitar
Jim Riley: Bass
Andrew Tkaczyk: Drums
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All the way from Los Angeles, California, The Ghost Inside (TGI) destroyed their set. Giving a little recap, The Ghost Inside stopped touring back in 2015 due to a major accident while on tour. The band stopped touring for a while but are back up on their feet now. The band performed songs like “Out of Control,” Pressure Point,” Mercy,” and “Engine 45.” Let me tell you, once they performed “Engine 45,” the fans lost it! Mosh pits, crowd surfers, powerful breakdowns, you name it. The Ghost Inside was fully prepared to blow everyone away. Do not sleep on this band!
The Ghost Inside performing on the BetterHelp stage at HeartSupport Festival 2023. | Photos by Abel Estrada.
Rise Against on the BetterHelp Stage 8:15 PM
Tim Mcllrath: Vocals/Guitar
Zach Blair: Guitar
Joe Principe: Bass
Brandon Barnes: Drums
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The final band of the night, Rise Against, from Chicago, IL, made the night unforgettable. They performed hits like “Give It All,” Re-Education,” “Satellite,” “Nowhere Generation,” and many more. Rise Against is another band that’s been in the game for 20+ years, grinding it out from the production to the sound to hearing everyone chanting back to every song. Rise Against really knows how to put on a show. Throughout their whole set, I could feel the love produced by both artists and fans. As a surprise, Rise Against reappeared for three more encore songs!
Overall, HeartSupport Fest was an unforgettable two-day sensation. Everything was made for a reason, and the reason behind this festival is bigger than ever. Support each other by whatever means necessary. Heart Support was a success, and I cannot wait for the next one!
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