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Buddy Nielsen’s still got the fire! | Senses Fail Live Review: Let It Enfold You 10 Year | The Social Orlando | September 24 2014

by Mitch Foster • October 4, 2014

Buddy Nielsen had a fire burning inside him a decade ago. Still, to this day, I’ve never seen another performance equivalent to the first time I saw Senses Fail. It was the first show I ever attended at The Social. Shit, it was my first time ever attending a show in Orlando, FL! It was also a first for Senses Fail–their first tour, 2004, before they even released Let It Enfold You.

I arrived two hours before doors that day and found myself at the very front of the line. I was first in the door and met each original member as they arrived and carried their gear in. They all signed my ticket. I bought a t-shirt at that show, which marked the beginning of my obsession to purchase a t-shirt at almost every show I attended for the next few years (luckily,I grew out of that).

Little did I know at the time, Nielson was setting my expectational bar very high for future frontmen of live bands. They way he moved onstage back then is still yet to be matched by anyone else. It was as if he was fucking having a seizure on stage–he was practically vibrating throughout each song–an energy that bled out of his every pore.

Today, the only remaining member of Senses Fail’s original line up is frontman Buddy Nielsen. They’re touring an album I fell in love with ten years ago–Let It Enfold You–which was one of the most anticipated albums of my life.

“This captain goes down with his ship! All hands on deck, stand hip to hip. I shout the orders: ‘Shoot To Kill’ ‘I’m dressed to thrill, I’m dressed to thrill!’”

I can’t even begin to count the number of friends and ex-girlfriends I’ve sang those lyrics to and/or with. I had the chance to sing them with a room full of friends and fans last week, reliving the first time all over again. Here’s a shitty video I caught of “Rum Is For Drinking, Not For Burning” on the Shows I Go To Instagram:

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Rum. #SensesFail @SensesFail | Sept 25 2014 #showsigoto

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Senses Fail is the second band I’ve seen in the last 30 days that’s played a decade old album in it’s entirety. Coheed and Cambria performed IKSSE:3 earlier in September at House of Blues and it was awesome!

After Senses Fail played the thirteen tracks, in order, on Let It Enfold You, they came back for a nine song encore, totaling a 22 song setlist. The real nostalgia kicked in when they performed tracks from their first EP, From The Depths of Dreams, “Bloody Romance” and “One Eight Seven.” The room moved like rough seas in a storm, waves crashing back to back, and everyone dripping wet with sweat. They closed their set with “One Eight Seven” and I somehow managed to keep my phone still enough to record a viewable video from the pit.

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Another from last night #SensesFail #187 | Sept 25 2014 #TheBeacham #showsigoto @budthechud

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Nielsen isn’t always on key when he sings (or screams for that matter), but you can still see it, from time to time, the fire, burning just as bright. He keeps it a bit more hidden these days–perhaps behind a couple of stone fences, perhaps deep in his sutured heart, but, it’s clear: He’s still got the fire.

Check out the live photos of Senses Fail Jeff took at the show below.