For Today, Miss May I, We Came As Romans, and Memphis May Fire brought the Bands VS. Food Tour to Strummer’s in Fresno, California on May 12, 2016.

The four bands each had the chance to interact and engage with the crowd as they took the stage. The artists were welcomed with fist-pumps, crowd surfers, stage divers and mosh pits. All setting up for an evening of pure rock energy.

For Today started off the night with a heart-pounding boom. The metalcore band played songs off their newest album “Wake” and also played tracks from their earlier albums like “Immortal” and “Breaker”. Fans were surprised when there was a quick cameo from Oakland Raiders star quarterback Derek Carr during the song “Break the Cycle”. Carr is a close friend of vocalist Mattie Montgomery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3s_c7W3Yn8

For Today guitarist Ryan Leitru says the band loves playing in Fresno and that it is always fun to come back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXuH-xJmQG8

“Playing these small rooms is always humbling and exciting,” Leitru said. “Those were the shows we went to when we were kids that made us want to play in bands, made us want to play music.”

Although the band enjoys playing in big stages and festivals like the Vans Warped Tour, Leitru says the band is always appreciative when given the chance to play in clubs like Strummer’s.

“This is really the heart of who we are as musicians and kind of really what let us down this path to even be playing the music we are playing,” Leitru said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xso2-wxkEFw

Miss May I and We Came As Romans were the next two bands to keep the show going strong and they did not disappoint. Miss May I played tracks from their 2015 release “Deathless” and the crowd responded in a big way. We Came As Romans played songs from their self-titled fourth album like “Who Will Pray?” and “The World I Used to Know” and also played songs from their debut album “To Plant a Seed”.

Memphis May Fire was the band to make sure the night ended with a bang. The metalcore band hailing from Dallas, Texas kept the scene electric and energized. The band performed many fan favorites like “No Ordinary Love”, “Vices”, “The Sinner” and “Miles Away”. Singer Matty Mullins was able to captivate the crowd and share a message of unity and hope through heartfelt lyrics backed up by intense breakdowns and melodic choruses.

The night was reminiscent of the days when music lovers would gather in a small, intimate clubs like CBGB in New York or the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood to see their favorite bands and have a good old fashioned Rock ‘n’ Roll show.