For a concert addict like myself, two months is a long time to go without a fix. Not only was I excited to see any live music, I was beyond pumped to see one of my favorite bands:
Pop's is a concert venue and nightclub in Sauget, Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis. I'd definitely see a show there again. The stage is high enough that even if you are standing toward the back of the concert area, you can still see everything on stage. The sound was great. Nothing was too loud, and I could understand the vocals really well.
Tremonti completely exceeded my expectations. Mark (Tremonti. Lead vocals, guitar. If you're reading this, you probably know that.) has said his heart is in really heavy music. However heavy you think his albums are--these songs are insane live. I mean, Slayer heavy. Megadeth heavy. Crazy heavy. I don't head bang, and I head banged. A lot.
The set featured a good mix of songs from Tremonti's first album, All I Was, and second album, Cauterize. Cauterize was a speedy, high energy opener. A brutal version of Wish You Well closed out Tremonti's time onstage. The whole set killed, but highlights included You Waste Your Time and Decay--prime audience sing-along opportunities. Radical Change was my favorite performance of the evening. It's a great song anyway, cool melody in the verses, big chorus...but live it was SO heavy.
A musician has to be super talented to play this kind of music. If they want it to sound good anyway. Garrett Whitlock is an excellent drummer. I felt that bass drum in my gut. Like a machine gun. Eric Friedman more than holds his own on guitar, and he's really fun to watch. Tanner Keegan fills out the rhythm section on bass for this tour, since Wolfgang Van Halen is a little busy. Mark's playing has definitely earned him the (ridiculous and adorable) nickname "Tremonster." In spite of being able to rock mind-blowingly fast and heavy, he still keeps a groove and melody in his songs so even a non-music-nerd like myself can appreciate them. His voice also sounded great--much better than I was expecting.
I was not the only hardcore Tremonti fan in the audience. Several joined me in cheering when the band launched into Brains and Flying Monkeys. I really hope this tour put Tremonti in front of a new audience who wouldn't have checked out the band otherwise. I believe in this band so hard. Tremonti is what rock music needs.
Mike is a much bigger Trivium fan than I am. They aren't a band I'd go out of my way to listen to, but I really enjoyed their set.
The guys in Trivium make their intricate, Maiden-esque guitar work look effortless, and the soaring choruses pulled me in even though I didn't know many of the songs. Highlights for me included The Strife, Black, and the set-closer In Waves. The crowd, mostly of the dude variety, was obviously loving Trivium. Chants of "TRI-VI-UM" rang out between songs, and a group of guys moshed in the middle of the crowd.
Wilson, like any good opening band, started the night with a punch of unstoppable energy. They played like they really wanted to win the crowd over, and I believe they did. Wilson's sound is radio-friendly rock, but with some thrashy riffs that elevate them above your average radio-rock band.
Wilson's set included a marching bass drum, upside down guitar playing, and someone crowd surfing while wearing a dog costume.
Yes, I got it on video:
Where do I take this review after that?
Until next time,
--Mrs. W.
Pop's is a concert venue and nightclub in Sauget, Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis. I'd definitely see a show there again. The stage is high enough that even if you are standing toward the back of the concert area, you can still see everything on stage. The sound was great. Nothing was too loud, and I could understand the vocals really well.
Tremonti completely exceeded my expectations. Mark (Tremonti. Lead vocals, guitar. If you're reading this, you probably know that.) has said his heart is in really heavy music. However heavy you think his albums are--these songs are insane live. I mean, Slayer heavy. Megadeth heavy. Crazy heavy. I don't head bang, and I head banged. A lot.
The set featured a good mix of songs from Tremonti's first album, All I Was, and second album, Cauterize. Cauterize was a speedy, high energy opener. A brutal version of Wish You Well closed out Tremonti's time onstage. The whole set killed, but highlights included You Waste Your Time and Decay--prime audience sing-along opportunities. Radical Change was my favorite performance of the evening. It's a great song anyway, cool melody in the verses, big chorus...but live it was SO heavy.
A musician has to be super talented to play this kind of music. If they want it to sound good anyway. Garrett Whitlock is an excellent drummer. I felt that bass drum in my gut. Like a machine gun. Eric Friedman more than holds his own on guitar, and he's really fun to watch. Tanner Keegan fills out the rhythm section on bass for this tour, since Wolfgang Van Halen is a little busy. Mark's playing has definitely earned him the (ridiculous and adorable) nickname "Tremonster." In spite of being able to rock mind-blowingly fast and heavy, he still keeps a groove and melody in his songs so even a non-music-nerd like myself can appreciate them. His voice also sounded great--much better than I was expecting.
I was not the only hardcore Tremonti fan in the audience. Several joined me in cheering when the band launched into Brains and Flying Monkeys. I really hope this tour put Tremonti in front of a new audience who wouldn't have checked out the band otherwise. I believe in this band so hard. Tremonti is what rock music needs.
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| #ICantEven |
Mike is a much bigger Trivium fan than I am. They aren't a band I'd go out of my way to listen to, but I really enjoyed their set.
The guys in Trivium make their intricate, Maiden-esque guitar work look effortless, and the soaring choruses pulled me in even though I didn't know many of the songs. Highlights for me included The Strife, Black, and the set-closer In Waves. The crowd, mostly of the dude variety, was obviously loving Trivium. Chants of "TRI-VI-UM" rang out between songs, and a group of guys moshed in the middle of the crowd.
 |
| Trivium's set was pretty bad ass. |
Wilson, like any good opening band, started the night with a punch of unstoppable energy. They played like they really wanted to win the crowd over, and I believe they did. Wilson's sound is radio-friendly rock, but with some thrashy riffs that elevate them above your average radio-rock band.
Wilson's set included a marching bass drum, upside down guitar playing, and someone crowd surfing while wearing a dog costume.
Yes, I got it on video:
Where do I take this review after that?
Until next time,
--Mrs. W.
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