It was our lucky night!! Why were we lucky you might ask? It was Saint Paddy’s Day 2022 and we were headed to The King of Clubs in Columbus, Ohio. The five band bash was featuring Nonpoint, a rock band that originated in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1997. The doors were set to open at 6:30 with the first band hitting the stage at 7:00pm.We pulled into the parking lot at 6:30 and headed straight to the doors. We were welcomed at the entrance of the club by security and ushered to the front of the line for our press passes. We were so excited as this was our first visit to the venue as it opened just one year ago. We walked into an open floor with an elevated stage that had a balcony wrapped around the backside. The place looked amazing and the environment was heating up with the DJ rocking out as the first set prepared to start. From the time we walked into the venue and until we left, we were treated wonderfully and given excellent service by the entire team at The King of Clubs. From security, to the bartenders, the stage crew, the entire operation is run like a finely oiled machine.
Nine Mile Silence
Nine Mile Silence, a progressive metal band from Marion, Ohio, took the stage to get the Saint Paddy’s Day party started. With five bands on tap for the night each band was set to play a 35 minute set. Nine Mile Silence kicked it off and they shook the house.
Blend
After Nine Mile Silence finished their set, it was time for Blend from Columbus, Ohio to take the stage. Blend brought more of a laid back vibe with mesmerizing vocals. You could really tell they were a local favorite as the crowd came in bunches and supported the local group.
Illusions
The third band of the night, Illusions was another local band from Columbus, Ohio. They took to the stage with so much energy. Lead singer Nik Wilson never stopped twisting and turning his body into positions I could never imagine. They were exciting to watch and made the crowd more aggressive for the evening as a mosh pit broke out in the middle of The King of Clubs.
XFactor1
The last band of the night before headliner Nonpoint, was one XFactor1 also from Columbus, Ohio. Lead singer Ricky “Q-Ball” Wolf, who also happens to be one of the club owners at The King of Clubs, established the band in 2006. Ricky donned a unique look consisting of aviator sunglasses and a black hood, belted out the rock lyrics while the entire band jammed hardcore, getting everyone ready to rock for Nonpoint.
Nonpoint
NONPOINT. Wow. We first saw Nonpoint at Ozzfest 2001 (in Columbus, OH). It had been a long time coming since we had seen them take the stage. The band currently consists of Elias Soriano on vocals, Robb Rivera on drums, Jaysin Zeilstra on lead guitar, Rasheed Thomas on rhythm guitar and Adam Woloszn on bass. Over the last year, we had begun listening to the band a lot, and we were kind of blown away (ok, maybe Rachel is a little obsessed). This was definitely a bucket list band for Rachel to capture images of.
Nonpoint EXPLODED onto the stage with Ruthless to kick off their set. The guys bring a very energetic and passionate presence to the stage. They were all coordinated in their black clothing with red accents. The guys even all wore red shoes. Even prior to the concert, we could tell they put a lot of thought into their branding, with the red and black theme. The band jumped and moved around the stage for the entire show, engaging with the crowd, making it seem like they were performing just for you. Rachel got her images and came back out of the photo pit to join Chris as Nonpoint continued to crush song after song, hit after hit. Rachel has mentioned several times that she feels that she was almost in a trance because the band’s energy was so captivating and simply contagious. Elias has a way of just pulling you in so that you can feed off the band’s energy and be fully present to what you are experiencing. It may be mutual because many times, Elias gazed out into the crowd seeming to just absorb the spirit of the fans. A mosh pit erupted for much of the show. The band played songs new and old including The Wreckoning, What a Day, Back in the Game, Chaos and Earthquakes, When Doves Cry, I Don’t Care and Bullet With a Name.
Without a doubt, 25 years later, Nonpoint rocks and will continue to rock. They are talented. They have an indescribable energy. They have this personable vibe that just makes you feel like you belong and the reason we look forward to rocking out with Nonpoint again.
For more pictures of the night, go check out our photo report here.
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