August Burns Red in Columbus

About August Burns Red

August Burns Red formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2005 and spent the better part of two decades becoming one of metalcore's most reliable names. They're not trendsetting, which is kind of the point. Their albums maintain a consistent approach to technical riffing and controlled aggression without chasing trends. Messengers put them on people's radar, but they've basically been putting out solid records ever since. They tour constantly, which means they've actually built a fanbase of people who've seen them multiple times rather than once at a festival. The band's tighter than they need to be, songs are tighter than they need to be, and their attitude seems to be that if you're going to do this, do it properly. Not flashy, not reinventing anything, just consistent metalcore from people who clearly still want to play shows.

Their crowds are focused, not frenzied. People know every word and the pit moves with the song rather than mindlessly circulating. No stage banter to speak of. They just play, and it feels like they're working as hard as the crowd is sweating.

Known for Messengers, Consumer, The Reflective Property, Identity, Barbarian

August Burns Red + Columbus

August Burns Red rolled through Sanctuary Stage in May and leaned into the deeper cuts that make their catalog compelling. They opened with 'Thirty and Seven,' moved through mid-set heavyweights like 'Bloodletter' and 'Marianas Trench,' and closed out with 'White Washed.' It's the kind of setlist that rewards people who've actually lived with their records, mixing deliberate intensity with moments of compositional restraint. Columbus seems to get what they're doing.

August Burns Red in Columbus News

• AUGUST BURNS RED and THE AMITY AFFLICTION announce North American co-headline tour Revolver Magazine · Dec 2, 2025
• AUGUST BURNS RED and THE AMITY AFFLICTION announce spring co-headline tour Lambgoat · Dec 2, 2025
• August Burns Red and The Amity Affliction Head the 2026 Spring Horizons Tour Knotfest · Dec 2, 2025
• August Burns Red and The Amity Affliction Plot Horizons Tour antiMusic · Dec 2, 2025
• August Burns Red: Sonic Temple 2026 The Columbus Dispatch · Nov 2, 2025

Live Music in Columbus

Columbus has never been a hotbed for metalcore in the way that coastal cities are, but it's developed a respectable underground scene over the past decade. The city supports mid-tier venues that cater to the heavier stuff — bands like August Burns Red find receptive audiences here, even if they're not pulling arena numbers. There's an earnest quality to Columbus metal crowds, the kind of people who actually know the albums and aren't just there for a social outing. It's the type of city where a solid technical metalcore band can build a real fanbase.

Columbus road trip to see August Burns Red?

Stay in German Village, where the restored brick townhouses and tree-lined streets feel like an actual neighborhood rather than a tourist zone. Dinner at Harvest Bistro on High Street for refined American food done without fuss. Spend the afternoon at the Columbus Museum of Art, then walk through the Short North corridor—the gallery district has real energy without feeling manufactured. Catch the show at Nationwide Arena, then grab drinks at Drinkery in German Village for something low-key.