Written by: Julie Vega
With the announcement of their new album, Pride & Disaster, Sleep On It ended the era of Overexposed with a bang. In their hometown of Chicago, they sold out their co-headlining show with Like Pacific. The crowd knew this was going to be the last time they’ll hear any of the songs on Overexposed and the emotions were high. After Like Pacific’s set was over, it was time. The curtain dropped revealing the burnt groom and the white bride, the crowd went wild. The members were setting up their equipment and then walk off stage.
Sleep On It stepped on stage and started off with A New Way Home. On the sides of the stage, blue and white balloons were released into the crowd. It was as if this was the last show on earth. The crowd was singing along to every song and appreciating every moment of the show. Once A New Way Home ended, Zech looked into the sea of fans with a thank you.
“Welcome to the end of an era.”
The group continued with the show while occasionally expressing gratitude to the audience. Every song was played to its fullest. Hearing Fireworks being played in the middle rather than in the end was a nice change. Sleep On It bought Joey Fleming of In Her Own Words for Dereck’s vocals. To say the crowd blew the roof off is an understatement. The chemistry seen on stage gave off that this was truly the last time we will hear Overexposed in its entirety. TJ, like other members, thanked the fans once again for coming to the show and supporting them along the way. Slowly, fans knew the show was going to end soon as TJ and Zech stayed on stage for A Brighter Shade of Blue. Emotions were rattled, voices were cracked, and tears streamed down the faces of many fans. During the ending of the song, Zech sat down, facing away from the audience. This was an especially emotional show for the group and seeing Zech tear up made the crowd cheer and express support to him. As the band came back on stage to perform Autumn, Sleep On It gave it their all. From seeing Sleep On It play at JBTV Studios to the Bottom Lounge selling the show out, it was a beautiful ending to an era. However, the show wasn’t quite over yet. Sleep On It came back on stage after the fans demanded one more song.
“How ‘bout two?” Zech asked. The crowd went wild as Sleep On It played their latest single, Under The Moment. Sleep On It continued with one more song until Zech looked back stage and then informed the audience of two more songs. It was a nice surprise and definitely made the crowd go crazy. Sleep On It ended the show with See You Around. The atmosphere of the crowd, the band, and everyone around was as if every worry in the world was gone and this was the moment to at peace again. The show ended with people and other band members throwing silly string on the stage while See You Around was ending.
This was the biggest headline show for Sleep On It and was the end of their era for Overexposed. Following them for almost three years, it's been amazing to see them grow into a wonderful group with a loving fanbase. I truly cannot wait to see what comes next of them and what they have in store for the future. I highly suggest pre-ordering their new album 'Pride & Disaster' and checking them out on their tour with Don Broco!