Chicago’s House of Blues was filled to bursting point for a sold-out night of metal with Sevendust and Tremonti.
It’s the second time in as many months that Tremonti have visited the Chicagoland area, but that doesn’t stop the fans from flocking to catch them again. Mark Tremonti is one very busy man. When he’s not recording or touring with Tremonti, he’s writing the book to accompany his latest concept album or recording and touring with Alter Bridge. This current tour is in support of A Dying Machine which the fans are still enthusing over.
With only 9 songs to their set, it wasn’t as long as some might have hoped but is understandable since the lineup was packed with five bands in one show. Nevertheless, a good number of fans were out to specifically see them and sang along whole-heartedly.
Throughout the set, Mark and Eric Friedman packed a powerful punch up front on the guitars, while Tanner Keegan looked totally immersed in the music as he leaped and spun around. The latest addition to the lineup, Ryan Bennett, more than made his presence known as he pounded on the drums, throwing his sticks up into the air and catching them without missing a beat.
Their set opened with “Cauterize” and was followed up with the ever-popular “You Waste Your Time” which had the fans showing off their fine singing voices. They also performed their latest single, “Throw Them To The Lions” before rounding out their portion of the evening with the fast-paced “Wish You Well” which left the crowd on a high. The smile on Mark’s face said it all and was reciprocated by the audience.
After a break to switch around the stage, the screen that was covering it rose out of the way to loud cheers from the audience. It felt like an eternity waiting for Tesla’s “Modern Day Cowboy” to finish before the members of Sevendust took to the stage under cover of darkness and assumed their positions.It’s incredible to think that these guys have been together for more than 20 years now, and also that it’s been 15 years since they last graced this very stage. It might have been a long time coming, but the fans were clearly out in force to welcome them back to the House of Blues once more. The Music Hall was so full, fans were leaning over the upper balconies, straining to catch a glimpse of them. Whether they could see the action on stage or not, it didn’t seem to matter as they clearly had the crowd fully behind them as they sang along.
This tour is in support of last year’s release, All I See Is War. With this in mind, it is unusual that they opened their set with “Dirty,” the only song of the night to be taken from this album. The majority of the set comprised of songs from their sophomore release, Home.
Lajon Witherspoon proved to be a captivating frontman and was on top form. He has one of the most adaptable voices in metal which he fully utilized. He regularly interacted with the audience and got them to start a rather civilized mosh circle on his command.
With so much going on at the front of the stage, usually, you’d be forgiven for not noticing what’s happening towards the back of the stage. However, for those who have seen Sevendust before will be well aware that drummer Morgan Rose puts on his own show behind his kit. His animated drumming is accompanied by his growling voice, which adds to the harmonies being produced up front. All of these combined together add an extra dimension to their sound and is a big part of what makes Sevendust stand out from their contemporaries.
This show was every bit the high energy show you’d expect from Sevendust and it certainly did not disappoint. In a time where ticket prices seem to be increasing on a daily basis, it’s a rare treat to get to see five bands of such caliber as these, for just $30. You can’t afford to miss this tour, so be sure to check out the final dates that they have coming up.
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