Concert Preview: The Devil Wears Prada

February 29, 2016

The Devil Wears Prada formed in Dayton, OH in 2005. Though they have changed a bit since those early days, they have risen to become one of the top names in metalcore, Christian or otherwise, and have toured with almost all of the other top names in the genre. And you thought nothing good could come from Ohio.

Their name comes from the novel by Lauren Weisberger released in 2003, and though there is information out there suggesting that their name is a statement against materialism, band members have stated publicly that this is not really the case. The truth is much less glamorous – basically, they named their band after a popular book at the time and it stuck, whether they like it or not. In fact, this is a nice reminder that not everything needs to have a greater significance or deep, deep meaning in order to be good, and in that sense, their name is quite fitting. They are who they are, and you can like them or not.

Who they are, currently, is Mike Hranica, Jeremy Depoyster, Andy Trick, and Daniel Williams. The most significant of the aforementioned changes came this past year when one of the founding members, guitarist Chris Rubey, left the band to pursue other interests. In terms of the band’s sound, you can hear their maturation over the course of their 5 full-length albums, 1 live album, and 2 EP’s, culminating in the 2013 album 8:18 and their latest release, The Space EP. And it is a good thing, too. Jeremy Depoyster talks about cringing at the thought of some of their older works. To us, this is one of the most interesting things about bands who last more than a few years and/or albums: there is always a desire to change, improve, and evolve, yet you can never really outgrow the past and what got you where you are. At their core, though, The Devil Wears Prada remain true to themselves and their roots, maintaining their faith and the essentials of their style. It is an interesting juxtaposition to hear a band so heavy with songs titled Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over, This Song Is Called, and Danger: Wildman, such as they had on their earlier albums, a lightheartedness that extends to their Zombie EP release from 2010. Yet, at the heart of the band is also a seriousness and introspection, evident on their album 8:18, taken from Romans 8:18 and focusing on various manifestations of suffering and misery in the lives of believers. “I’m always hoping to maybe change,” they say on the track Sailor’s Prayer from 8:18, a line that in some ways summarizes their career to this point, whether as a band or as individuals. They are navigating the difficult waters of “real life”, of maturation as people and as artists, finding their sound while growing in popularity. A difficult task to be sure, but despite these challenges, they have handled the difficulties well, and we are excited to see where they end up.

Tickets are on sale now and are just $12 in advance for Liberty students. Check out all the information at www.liberty.edu/sa.

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