The alt scene's newest heartthrob made his way to Dallas on his first tour. A Houston native, Nate Vickers is clearly on the rise, and it only made sense for his first taste of touring to be in his home state.
He first gained traction by going viral with his incredible acoustic covers, including "The Reason" by Hoobastank, "Just Pretend" by Bad Omens, and "My Immortal" by Evanescence. His cover of "The Kill" by Thirty Seconds to Mars even caught vocalist Jared Leto's attention, which led to him being able to perform it live with them.
If you thought his covers were good, his original work is even better because it hits harder, feels deeper, and shows exactly who he is as an artist.
Not only is he a talented musician whose voice can melt you from the inside out, but he's also an artist, a gamer, and — maybe most importantly — a dog dad.
On this run, local bands Kenton Place, Bridges Ablaze, and Vilamoura kicked off the night before Nate Vickers took the stage.
Let's do things a bit differently and jump right into the headliner performance for this show review.
Nate Vickers is currently performing as a three-piece band, with Robby Joyner on guitar and Navid Naghdi on drums. They delighted the crowd with both familiar favorites and a sneak preview of some new, heavier music. The crowd sang along to "Deja Vu," "Bury Me," and "Falling Away From Heaven." Seeing his acoustic cover of “The Kill” live was a standout moment, and let me tell you, his voice is just as captivating live as it is recorded. I'm sure that's a challenging song to sing, but he pulled it off effortlessly.
What makes Nate Vickers so compelling is his authenticity. He isn’t making music just for the fans — he’s using it as a way to express himself. In doing so, he’s built a dedicated crowd of supporters who are genuinely excited to watch him grow. They shared about some tour struggles during their first show, like their trailer taking a hit, and they experienced some sound issues in Dallas, but they kept a positive attitude and rolled with the punches. Fans cheered on and chanted the guitarist's name in support as they worked out a kink with the acoustic guitar for "The Kill." At the end of the night, fans lined up for a free meet and greet with the band, including signed posters for anyone who got merch. The band looked happy to meet each person and gladly posed for countless photos.
The openers helped set the tone early, bringing energy that carried through the night. There was also this family — a husband and wife there with their preteen son — and the dad was dancing in the pit without a care in the world about who was watching. It didn’t matter if he was the only one moving — he was there to let loose, support some talented bands, and enjoy the moment with his family. And honestly, I was 100% here for it.
Nate Vickers
Now, let’s circle back to those fantastic openers. We love supporting on a local level here at Music Scene Media, so be sure to give them a follow on socials and check out their music.
First up was Kenton Place from Houston, Texas. I’ve got to give them a big shoutout — they were some of the most down-to-earth and energetic guys of the night. The room was still pretty empty when they took the stage, but that didn’t discourage them one bit. They rocked the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues.
Vocalist Logan Smalley gave off Jonny Hawkins vibes with his beautiful curls and energetic stage presence. He’s a great frontman and really brings the energy. Not only did they kick ass on stage, but they also stuck around to cheer on the other bands, chat with the crowd, and keep the momentum going in the pit. If you like alt-rock and genuinely good people, give them a listen.
Kenton Place
Next up was Bridges Ablaze from Austin, Texas. They’re a fun, genre-blending group, and I love their Instagram bio: "sad boys who shred.” They pull from a little bit of everything – modern rock, metal, hardcore, and emo – so “alt-metal” feels like the best way to sum it up.
Their sound shifts from song to song, but in a good way. Think of all your favorite bands across different genres rolled into one. Brien Allen and Ruben Zamora, who both handle vocals and guitar, bring a great balance of clean vocals and more aggressive moments. Definitely check them out.
Bridges Ablaze
Vilamoura, also from Austin, closed out the opener lineup. They’ve become somewhat of a local favorite in the metalcore scene, and I’ve loved listening to them at home, so seeing them live was a real treat. They have a very clean, polished sound, and their dual vocals are incredible.
They blend heavy breakdowns and riffs with more melodic, emo-inspired elements, and the combination just works. The back-and-forth dynamic between JonJon and Josh is especially strong live. You guys know I love a good metalcore/post-hardcore band, so this one’s an easy recommendation.
Thank you for checking out this show review. We are ecstatic for Nate Vickers and his first tour, and are looking forward to seeing where he goes next. If you're near San Antonio, he'll be at Vibes Underground on May 16th.
Don't forget – support local music!
Vilamoura
