By Michele Westmoreland

There’s a Fever Coming…

If you don’t already know, The Fever 333 is a Rapcore band formed in Inglewood, California in 2017. This supergroup is comprised of former Letlive vocalist Jason Butler, former The Chariot guitarist Stephen Harrison, and Night Verses drummer Aric Improta. I was lucky enough to see this group live for the second time in October. These three bring the perfect mix of rap, rock, and activism to the table. I give them a [10/10] and you’ll see why.

Let me take you back to when I first discovered this revolutionary band. Earlier this year, I had the chance to see The Fever 333 last minute at The Lost Horizon, a local music venue here in Syracuse. At the time, they had just released their debut record, “Made an America”. There are seven tracks on this EP, one of which features rapper Yelawolf.  I recall being in the front of the crowd as their performance began and being taken by surprise. The demonstration started with Jason Butler coming out from behind the stage curtain and standing before the crowd with a black hood over his head. In the background, an audio recording consisting of the final speech made by Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator was playing to the audience. If you haven’t seen the film, Chaplin shines a light on the violence, greed, and pure hatred that had overtaken the free and beautiful way of life that is inherent in human nature. I felt this was an appropriate and utterly remarkable speech to include in their live intro, because it relates to the oppression of minority groups in our society. This is something i had never seen before and i was immediately intrigued to see what this group had to say about the current state our country is in. They opened with “Burn It”, one of the five songs not included in their EP. First thing’s first, I was blown away by their sound and how they were able to combine rap and hardcore rock seamlessly, similarly to rage against the machine. I didn’t know any of the words to this song, yet there I was head banging so intensely, I very well might have sustained a neck injury. Secondly, we all know Butler can entertain a crowd without any trouble, but this was such a unique experience. It was extremely engaging and energetic, so much so that not one person in the audience was standing still.  

Following their opening song, was “We’re Coming In”. This song starts of in a scream, showing Jason’s insane vocal range. It’s an unrelentingly powerful song that makes a statement right away, by stating the time for change has come and was the first to have a music video. Following that was “Made an America”. This track has such a powerful message that accurately represents everything that The Fever 333 symbolizes. It touches on oppression of minorities, police brutality, and highlights the argument that America was built by the very efforts of minorities and the way “white” America seems to view historical truths through a racially tinted lens. You could feel the aggression and resistance in their performance and if you don’t find yourself questioning authority after listening to this song, then you’re not really listening at all. Jumping forward a little bit, was “Hunting Season”, which features Blink 182’s Travis Barker. This track is able to effectively call for change and motivate listeners to stand up and fight for the best interest of those who are oppressed by the system, promoting real equality for the human race. The last song I want to mention is “POV” aka. Point of View. This track happens to be my favorite, because it best represents the Fever’s ability to revive a genre that has been “dead” for a while. This track is the perfect mix of hardcore rock and rap. There’s minimal guitar, being mostly covered by Aric Improta’s drumming and Jason’s rapping. By the end of their performance, I knew that this group was going to gain much well-deserved exposure. After the show I was fortunate enough to meet this trifecta, and not only are they all musical geniuses, they’re the nicest, most genuine guys.

In the months following, I watched as they received more recognition, as well as heard “Made an America” on the radio for the first time ever. Even more recently, they released their remix of this track with Travis Barker and Vic Mensa, which is a masterpiece to say the least and announced their upcoming U.K. tour this fall opening for Bring Me the Horizon. Being able to witness and be a part of their come-up was probably the best thing about being a fan. Seeing them for the second time was definitely a different experience for me. When I got to the lost (horizon), there was a line of people wrapped around the venue waiting to get in. I can’t say that I was shocked, but I was definitely in awe at how successful the turnout was in comparison to the turnout at the first show. Somehow I was able to get to the front of the crowd and get a good spot. This performance was even better than the first and a lot more interactive for me personally, considering I actually knew all of the songs this time around. In addition to the songs on their EP, they performed their newest single “Trigger”, which advocates against gun violence. This track absolutely slaps and brings attention to one of the biggest problems our country is currently facing.

Overall, these guys just keep getting better and better, while their message remains rock solid and present within each and every one of their songs. I encourage anyone and everyone to see them live if you ever get the chance. It will without a doubt be one of the best shows you’ll ever see. If you’re not happy with the current struggles we’re facing as a nation and want to let out your angst, while being surrounded by people who will not judge you based on what you look like or where you’re from, this supergroup is worth checking out. And remember, there’s a fever coming.