Pop Evil’s Homecoming During “What Remains” Tour
Words & photos by Adam Briggs | View the full concert gallery here
Fans of the veteran rock band Pop Evil turned out in force to GLC at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids, MI on May 9th to see the band on the Spring leg of their 2025 “What Remains” tour. They were supported by Oni and Devour the Day.
The evening’s opener Oni, consisting of vocalist Jake Oni and guitarist Jared Dines, are currently touring in support of their 2025 EP Genesis. Their 8-song set featured heavily from this EP as well as their 2023 outing The Silver Line. This is Oni’s second consecutive tour playing with Pop Evil. Later in the evening when thanking the supporting acts, Pop Evil vocalist Leigh Kakaty even labeled them a must-see band before they get huge. Oni’s set leaned into their progressive metalcore sound, providing a set that weaved complex instrumentation with Oni’s vocals that ranged from soaring clean vocals to blistering screaming vocals.
Following Oni was hard rock outfit Devour the Day. This band was an absolutely blast to watch. Their energy was on another level, lead by vocalist Blake Allison who spent most of the set dancing and storming his way around the stage. Their 2024 EP Fragments of Us, which recently saw the release of an “Alt Version,” featured heavily in their set which had the crowd going crazy throughout. The fans matched the energy of the band as the set progressed, which made for a great atmosphere. Their passion and enthusiasm on stage was contagious, and make them a band that has to be seen live.
Just when you thought the energy couldn’t get any higher, headliners Pop Evil took the stage. This show acted as night one of a two-night homecoming for the band who stopped in Grand Rapids before heading to Detroit. Pop Evil, formed in 2001, cut their teeth in Grand Rapids while working on the material that would become their debut album, Lipstick on the Mirror. During one break during the set, singer Leigh Kakaty talked about how much Grand Rapids means to them and discussed the band’s wish that Grand Rapids could be put on the map for hard rock and metal acts.
The band opened their 16-song set with “Eye of the Storm,” which put the crowd into a frenzy. They followed this up with “Trenches” and “Deathwalk.” The band played songs from the majority of their 20+ year career, including “What Remains,” the title track to their most recent album that dropped in March. As the evening went on, the vibe felt more like a party with beach balls even making an appearance during the main set closer, “Waking Lions.” The band’s energy during the set was remarkable, especially when bassist Joey “Chicago” and drummer Blake Allison pulled double-duty on the evening as they are also founding members of Devour the Day. It was easy to tell how much the band appreciated the crowd throughout, interacting with audience members whenever possible. During one song, Kakaty could be seen high-fiving crowd members and giving out a guitar pick to one person near the stage. It made for a special evening for the hometown crowd who saw the band go from playing local bars and colleges, to now playing one of the city’s prominent venues.
Catch all three bands on the “What Remains” tour through the remainder of May. You can also catch Pop Evil on tour dates throughout the Summer and Fall of 2025.
Stay up to date with the bands:
Oni: www.onimusic.com | Instagram: @theoniband
Devour the Day: www.devourtheday.com | Instagram: @devourtheday
Pop Evil: www.popevil.com Instagram: @popevil
