Dayseeker

Article by Brittany Ormiston

“Indianapolis, make some noise!” proclaimed lead vocalist Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker. The crowd erupted with cheering, clapping, and whistling. Rory convinced the majority of the audience to jump with him at the end of ‘Sleeptalk.’ The drum loop intensified, and crowd-surfing commenced. Rock-on signs were thrown into the air with approval as the track concluded. With this performance alone, the band embodied their well-deserved place in the post-hardcore genre. The band members’ sleek black clothing, and great degree of creative expression within their music sealed the deal.    

Dayseeker’s most recent studio album, Dark Sun, is bursting with emotion, vulnerability, and loss. The album was written and constructed around the time Rory’s dad passed away in 2021. He poured himself into this body of work to help ease the pain of losing someone so important to him. Before performing more tracks from Dark Sun at the Indianapolis show, Rory mentioned how he grew up in his dad’s shadow and owes all of his talent and success to him. The evening hit a little bit differently with that heartfelt speech. ‘Without Me’ was played at high volume with the band and crowd members headbanging in sync. For the next track, guitarist Gino Sgambelluri delivered a riff that belongs in history books, and bassist Ramone Valerio pointed to the crowd to take the end of the last chorus. “I guess it’s not enough crying while you’re dancing,” sang the crowd in response.       

Rory’s vocals were exquisite through the entirety of the setlist, but a few tracks stood out the most. ‘Paper Heart’ had gut-wrenching lyrics with instrumentation on the lighter side. Rory’s wide vocal range really shined through, and the harmonies from his fellow band members made for a very touching performance. “The weight of the world is too much for me to hold // My paper heart will fold,” Rory uttered softly. The piano riff during the introduction of ‘Parallel’ followed by Rory’s chilling vocals was the definition of perfection. The magic of this track made concert-goers feel as if they were levitating, and the emotions it garnered did not cease. Rory added even more emotion to the mix when he stated the Indianapolis crowd was the best of the tour, and he meant it. He was smiling ear-to-ear, gushing from the immense love the crowd showed Dayseeker throughout the evening.            

Attending this show was well worth the ear-ringing and navigating a sold-out crowd. It was the perfect way to forget about the outside world, and just be for a while. Rory said it best when he stated artists love to perform to blow off steam, and fans attend shows to do the same. Dayseeker is immensely talented, and has us all living in a dreamstate with each and every performance.

Deluxe of Old National Centre in Indianapolis, IN on September 5, 2023

Photos by Everly Ormiston