SAN FRANCISCO — Dayseeker brought its Dark Sun Protocol tour to the Warfield on Wednesday, along with a diverse cast of bands spanning melodic hard rock to metalcore, for its biggest Bay Area show to date.

“We didn’t have shows like this for a long time,” vocalist Rory Rodriguez said, expressing appreciation. “We played to little to no people for a very big chunk of our career.”

The San Francisco crowd eagerly sang along with Rodriguez’s impassioned lyrics about pain, loss and anxiety. The band’s most recent album, 2022’s  Dark Sun, was inspired by the loss of Rodriguez’s father following a prolonged battle with cancer. While the subject matter is specific and personal, there was a universal connection in the message of the music. It was something Rodriguez acknowledged midway through the set.

“I wish my dad was alive to see what this has become and what it means to people,” he said.

The performance leaned heavily on Dark Sun with heavy opener “Dreamstate” and melodic “Without Me.” The stage was dressed in a neon video screen flanked by mirrored shadowbox-like fixtures that created depth with the lighting.

Rodriguez was poised and polished in a blazer and slacks, belting out a soulful take on modern rock vocals. But when the music called for it, he growled with the best of ’em during foundation-rattling breakdowns.

“I’m going to do something out of character for this band and play something happy for you,” Rodriguez said as the band got to “Homesick.” “After my dad died, I had this person who made me feel like I didn’t have to feel guilty about being happy.”

Rodriguez played piano on “Midnight Eternal,” with the band returning for “Crying While You’re Dancing” and “Gates of Ivory.”

“This song is about the anxiety I’ve dealt with for a long time. While putting on a tough exterior, I’ve definitely cracked a few times,” Rodriguez said of “Paper Heart.” Guitarist Gino Sgambelluri provided riffs that were both melodic and rumbling while bassist Ramone Valerio and drummer Zac Mayfield held down the rhythm section.

The band offered up a spectacular acoustic take on Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” an untouchable aughts hit. Rodriguez was up for the challenge, doing justice to Amy Lee. Dayseeker concluded with enthusiastic singalongs “Sleeptalk” and “Neon Grave,” as a mosh pit raged and crowd-surfers came over the barrier in succession.

The set by Australian metalcore imports Alpha Wolf was defined as much by its final moment as the 44 minutes that preceded it as vocalist Lochie Keogh engaged with a member of venue security.

The unusual confrontation happened just as the band was building the tension for closer “Akudama.” As Keogh rallied the crowd to mosh and crowd-surf, he ranted against the Warfield, saying that all the bands on the Wednesday bill had been treated poorly by staff and security. It was the first and only time the issue had been raised during the show.

Keogh may have been frustrated with security not doing enough to catch crowd-surfers coming over the barrier. For the second time in the set, he grabbed the knit hat off the head of the guard at center staged and tossed it aside. The guard responded by reaching back, grabbing Keogh’s ankle and pulling him down from a the stage riser, slightly damaging a piece of lighting in the process.

From there, things devolved with guitarist Sabian Lynch hurling his instrument in the direction of the guard and Keogh hopping off stage to approach security. The music was immediately cut, the lights came on, and the touring crew acted quickly to diffuse the situation. Discussions between the touring crew and venue staff went on during the set change, but no other altercations occurred publicly.

As for the music, Alpha Wolf offered up a powerful, ferocious and easily the heaviest set on the bill. Keogh had a confident swagger, but also unpredictability as he swung his microphone around by the cable. The drumming verged on concussive and the dual guitar attack cemented the heavy sound. Keogh thanked attendees, mentioning the band took a 24-hour flight from Australia for the tour.

“Whether you’re loving it, hating it or you aren’t sure what you think, we don’t give a fuck,” he said. “We appreciate your eyes, your ears and the attention you’re giving us.”

Tracks like “Pretty Boy,” “Sub-Zero” and “60cm of Steel” showed off the band’s powerful sound.

Vocalist Josh Mowery of Austin, Tex. metalcore outfit Catch Your Breath was adept at belting out heart-wrenching anthems as he dug deep for guttural screams. The band played a tight, fast-moving set with songs like “Cycles” and “21 Gun Salute.” The crowd impressively knew much of the material, singing back anthemic tracks like “Dial Tone.”

The songs were about battling addiction and growing up in a broken home, though “Good in Goodbye” took on a different tone for guitarist Teddy Herrera.

“Teddy’s grandmother passed away and never got to see us play. She was our biggest fan; this is one is for her,” Mowery said.

Show openers Kingdom of Giants, from Wheatland (north of Sacramento), played a hard-edges set. Dana Willax put an impressive amount of energy into getting the early arriving mid-week crowd into the show, encouraging attendees to jump and mosh along for the better portion of 30 minutes.

“This is your time, San Francisco, let’s get those security guards working,” he yelled. The set included “Asphalt,” “Wasted Space” and “Wayfinder.”

 

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow editor Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe.