Strike The Tower is a 5-piece metal band out of Charlotte, North Carolina. These guys are a favorite locally and for me personally. I try to catch as many shows as I can whenever they come out my way. I was pretty excited for the chance to catch them recently when they hit up The Den in Winston-Salem, NC back on January 30, 2026.
First off, January concerts are hard. It’s right in that time of year where not many bands are playing. There’s always an issue of a potential cancelation due to weather or something. That almost happened this night, but these bands knew North Carolinians wanted to rock, so they made damn sure it happened for us. I’m so thankful they did! The week prior pretty much all of North Carolina and even other regions experienced some record-breaking ice storms. Stuff got frozen over and shut down. One band unfortunately did have to cancel but we were still left with 3 bands ready to rock out on this Friday night in Winston-Salem.
When I got to The Den, there’s still remnants of ice everywhere, and they’re actively clearing out a path so fans and bands can get in the door safely. The Den is a small music venue located in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. They host a lot of local artists and it’s a genuinely awesome place to visit for a live show. That night we got a couple of surprises. We had 2 opening bands playing what happened to be their first live shows ever. That excites me so much! I’m constantly convinced you can find your next favorite band anywhere, so seeing artists just beginning their journey is amazing.
The Haks got the show started. The Haks is a 3-piece band out of Raleigh, NC. They’ve released a few singles so far on Spotify that you can check out below. This opening spot just felt like a little sneak peek into them and I’m excited to hear more in the future. Next up was All We’re Thankful For. This is a 4-piece band out of Greensboro, NC. They’ve only released one single so far, but you should definitely have a listen below. These guys you could tell had a little anxiety happening performing for the first time. Understandably, I personally couldn’t even do this. But here’s the awesome thing, their sound was absolutely amazing and such a surprise. I didn’t know what to expect. They played a few original tunes as well as some covers, including an awesome cover from Whirr where I wish I had put my camera down and taken a video. Both of these bands were proof of why you should be hitting up your local venues to check out what artists you have around. You can catch some amazing music and I’m really excited to see what both have in store for the future.
Strike The Tower hit the stage and really the whole dynamic in the room changed. These guys have a lot of experience under their belts and it’s apparent with the way they can instantly change a crowd. Of course some people knew the band, but at every show there’s always a few people seeing them for the first time. You will instantly be immersed from the first note to the last. This evening may have started out cold, but once Strike The Tower hit the stage, they lit up the whole place. There was a pit going, it was a pretty incredible time for everyone. It’s always an experience, but they blew the roof off for this one.
I’m Music Magazine Associate Editor/Photographer Daphne McKinney
Connect with Strike the Tower: Website | Facebook | Spotify
