Crystal Buchberger
Asking Alexandria
w/ From Ashes To New // Royale Lynn // What Lies Below
April 30, 2025 // The Sylvee // Madison, WI
©Crystal Buchberger
A cool breeze sends shivers down everyone’s spine as they wait in line for tonight’s sonic assault. A digital red and white sign with the name Asking Alexandria is plastered in front of tonight’s venue. The Sylvee, known for its electrifying acoustics, became ground zero for tonight’s high-octane performance. As WJJO, Madison’s very own local rock radio station, drives up and parks their bright red jeep in front of the venue, fans knew they were in for something explosive. As the doors opened, a wave of palpable excitement hit the crowd hard. While most ran to claim their spot in the pit, many stopped for a quick refuel of booze at the bar.
A soundwave hit the wall of fans hard as What Lies Below ran to center stage. Their blend of crushing breakdowns, melodic passages, and unrelenting energy whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
A mosh pit circled around as Andrew Watson belted out their hit song “Suffer.” The ground shook with vibrations from the speakers as waves of crowd surfers made their way towards the stage. What Lies Below lit a fuse for the night ahead.
Check out our gallery of concert photos from What Lies Below:
With peners so powerful, Royale Lynn had a hard job ahead of her. While newer to the music scene, nothing could have crushed her self-confidence.
With some grit and charisma, her hard-hitting and haunting melodies stole everyone’s attention. While singing “Death Wish,” Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria even made his way to the stage to join in on the excitement.
Her presence was so strong that anyone who walked in, not knowing who she was, left with Royale Lynn burned into their brain.
Check out our gallery of concert photos from Royale Lynn:
By the time From Ashes To New dropped in for their set, the room was already fully charged. “Lets have some fucking fun Wisconsin,” Matt Brandyberry said while cheering on the crowd.
Their set had the entire room quaking as the crowd jumped up and down with their fists in the air. The duo Matt Brandyberry and Danny Case shone on stage as their fusion of metal and hip-hop had the crowd singing along to songs like “Barely Breathing,” “Panic,” and “Nightmare.” Their engagement with the crowd was electrifying.
Check out our gallery of concert photos from From Ashes to New:
Before the crowd even had a chance to fully catch their breath, the clock struck 9:30, and Asking Alexandria made their way to the stage. With their enduring presence in the rock scene, both longtime fans and newcomers made their excitement known with screams that filled the concert hall.
The crowd’s pit vortexed around as waves of people were relentlessly crowd surfing. As a nod to their friendship, Royale Lynn flew herself back onto stage to help belt out the chorus to “House On Fire.” Her emotional vocals in combination with Asking Alexandria’s raw energy had the whole room singing and headbanging along.
Danny Worsnop’s swagger lit up the room as he screamed out a blend of hit songs ranging from new and polished, all the way to gritty and nostalgic. The crowd erupted as they sang along to songs like “Alone In A Room” and “The Final Episode.” Guitarist Cameron Liddell unleashed a barrage of riffs, while bassist Sam Bettley and drummer James Cassells provided a thunderous rhythm section that propelled Asking Alexandria’s sound forward with unrelenting intensity. As the encore started, crowd surfers got in their last waves, and moshers started dancing even harder.
Check out our gallery of concert photos from Asking Alexandria:
The crowd left The Sylvee with destroyed vocal cords and completely drenched in sweat. While the bands were the leading force of exhilaration for the night, the fans made for a wild ride, too. The mosh pit never slowed down, anyone who fell immediately got picked right back up, and not a single person was denied a chance to crowd surf. You could tell everyone was there for an electrifyingly good time.
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