Best of 2015: Tour of the Year

With every new year, comes new tours. Whether you prefer moshing in the middle, singing up front, or just enjoying the music from the back, concerts are always a place to connect with friends. Check out the most memorable tours of 2015. Hopefully you, too, got to attend one from the list below!

10. This Summer’s Last Stand Tour (Slipknot w/ Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine, and Motionless In White)
“The highlight for the modern metal world in touring this year was this gargantuan monstrosity of a bill that outsold Mayhem Fest on its last leg and delivered a most satisfying experience. A who’s who of arena-filling metal headed by the jaw-dropping theatrics and audience-pleasing professionalism of Slipknot was punctuated perfectly by a heralded return by Lamb of God and Bullet For My Valentine in support of 2 spectacular comeback records. The real megaphone-worthy news is the fact that this was absolutely Motionless In White’s biggest tour spot ever, successfully earning a slot amongst the metal greats. Be it singing along, pounding your friends or banging your head this tour signified metal to its very core and brought with it a noteworthy four-ring circus of talent and passion.”
– Matthew Powers

9. To Those Left Behind Tour (Blessthefall w/ Stick To Your Guns, Emarosa, Oceans Ate Alaska, and Cane Hill)
“One of the most diverse lineups of the year was also one of the most notable for the post-hardcore genre in 2015. Cane Hill and Oceans Ate Alaska each delivered various degrees of insanity, but it was Stick To Your Guns who especially amped the intensity and stole the show, combining mosh pit-inducing hardcore breakdowns with inspired shout-alongs. To contrast, Emarosa smoothly serenaded and Blessthefall brought their signature crowd-pleasing energy. Anyone who attended surely left having heard at least one act they enjoyed.” – Matthew Powers

8. Zombie 5 Tour (The Devil Wears Prada w/ Born Of Osiris, The Word Alive, and SECRETS)

“If you attended this tour you were gifted with viewing an outbreak of metalcore chaos. Not only did every band bring it, but Prada paused mid-set to play the entire Zombie EP followed by an at-the-time new song from the forthcoming Space EP. This was absolutely one of the year’s most valuable tours if you’re into the genre.” – Matthew Powers

7. Back To The Future Hearts Tour (All Time Low & Sleeping With Sirens w/ Neck Deep and ONE OK ROCK)
“With a new album and a headlining tour, what more could fans ask for? Another headlining tour! All Time Low made another round after their first Future Hearts Tour, and embarked on the Back To The Future Hearts Tour. But this time they had direct support from Sleeping With Sirens, Neck Deep, and japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK. Talk about a major singing fest!”
– Alex Lizette

6. The AP Tour (Mayday Parade w/ Real Friends, This Wild Life, and As It Is)
“After a few years away, the AP Tour returned to a big welcome from a scene that’s only strengthened in the interlude. With a killer package topped by Mayday Parade put together, the tour showcased the diversity of the popular punk scene including the contemporary emo of Real Friends, acoustic stylings of This Wild Life and British upstarts As It Is. The immediate rush of goodwill from fans towards the lineup showed how well it had been curated, and that there is definitely still a place for the AP Tour in the crowded landscape of life music.” – Michael Bird

5. Apollo X Tour (Motionless In White & The Devil Wears Prada w/ Upon A Burning Body, The Word Alive, & The Color Morale)
“A who’s who of rising metalcore soon-to-be veterans, Apollo X may just be the most full-featured tour of 2015. Not only did Motionless In White surprise crowds across the nation with a cover of undoubtedly an influence on the group Linkin Park’s One Step Closer, but The Devil Wears Prada played their entire newly-released Space EP which is already surely to be considered a modern classic. Rounding out the excellent headliners are the passionate dudes in The Word Alive and The Color Morale who surely incited sing-alongs and Upon A Burning Body who undoubtedly sparked a rush of both energy and eyebrow-raises when they pulled out their cover of Turn Down For What. Surely a tour for the fans.” – Matthew Powers 

4. Future Hearts Tour (All Time Low w/ Issues, Tonight Alive, and State Champs)
“To kick off the debut of their sixth full-length album Future Hearts, All Time Low embarked on a headlining tour with direct support from bands Issues, Tonight Alive, and State Champs. All Time Low is one of the biggest and well-known pop punk bands that almost everyone remembers from the early 2000s. Not having put out an album since 2012, All Time Low definitely made 2015 a great year for themselves.” – Alex Lizette

3. Blurryface Tour (Twenty One Pilots w/ Echosmith)
“In America if not the rest of the world, Twenty One Pilots were already a big deal before the release of Blurryface, but as the tour in support of it has barrelled through bigger and bigger venues it’s clear just how huge the album has made them. Couple a group whose unorthodox performances are quickly becoming the stuff of legend with a support that are similarly taking rock music in daringly radio friendly directions in the form of Echosmith, and you have a world-beating package. Things are only going to get bigger in 2016 when Twenty One Pilots hit Madison Square Garden and other arenas, but this year has been a massive one in its own right.” – Michael Bird

2. The World Tour (Pierce The Veil & Sleeping With Sirens w/ PVRIS and Mallory Knox
“With two of the most well-known post-harcore bands, The World Tour was definitely worth remembering. Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens are two bands with the most dedicated and largest fan base, and together for a tour brought all the fans closer. Aside from the fans, The World Tour was probably the biggest tour of 2014 AND 2015, considering the fact it began in November of 2014 and ended in March of 2015. Not only did they hit North America, but they also made a visit to Europe. It was definitely a tour that would make you upset if you didn’t make it.” – Alex Lizette

1. Bring Me The Horizon North American Tour (Bring Me The Horizon w/ Issues and PVRIS)
“If you were to put three bands together that proved how exciting rock music is in 2015, you’d struggle to create a package better than the first tour in support of That’s the Spirit. All three bring together crunching rock, electronic aesthetics, pop sensibilities and a dark heart in totally distinct shapes, and all three have gathered a devoted following. It speaks volumes that for Horizon in particular this massive tour felt like an intimate run before something even huger, both in the US and the rest of the world. We may look back on the tour as the breaking point for modern classic bands.”
– Michael Bird