Although drummer Robert Ortiz is the only remaining member from Las Vegas, Escape the Fate will always be a hometown band. Ortiz formed Escape the Fate with the rest of the band’s original lineup back in 2004 in Las Vegas, and the band quickly became a sensation on the emo/metalcore scene with 2006 debut album Dying Is Your Latest Fashion and its popular single “Situations.”
But it was when vocalist Craig Mabbitt joined the band that Escape the Fate became one of the biggest bands in modern hard rock. ETF’s first album with Mabbitt on vocals, 2008’s This War Is Ours, charted in the Billboard Alternative Top 10, and the title track remains one of the band’s most popular songs. ETF has since released four more albums with Mabbitt at the helm, including March’s I Am Human, which launched radio hit “Broken Heart.”
From its early screamo and post-hardcore days, the band’s music has gotten poppier and more mainstream, incorporating electronic beats, synths and layered harmony vocals. The lineup, sound and image of Escape the Fate may have changed significantly over the years, but with Ortiz as the anchor, the band’s roots remain consistent.
Hard Rock Hotel, 6 p.m. Sept. 6, starting at $15 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849 AXS
