QUEENSRŸCHE – HITTMAN – BLACK DAWN

Local Scene

2022-04-07

QUEENSRŸCHE – HITTMAN – BLACK DAWN – LIVE

Photo Credit / Donna Eriquezzo

Sunday evening, April 3, 2022 was just another Sunday night for some, but for many of us it was a night
of excitement and music. The rainy weather did not stop metal fans from coming out to Paramount
Hudson Valley in Peekskill, NY for a night to remember with Queensrÿche taking their night off from
their busy tour with Judas Priest to come to a cozier venue to play their only headlining gig on the east
coast. With special guests Black Dawn and Hittman, 2 New York bands opening the gig it was definitely a
great evening. Who can ask for more than 3 great metal bands on a Sunday evening!

We were very lucky to see Queensrÿche deliver yet another epic show with Todd La Torre belting out his powerful vocals. The performance Sunday night was a stellar display of a band that has been going strong since 1982, opening with “Queen of the Reich” from their first album Queensrÿche. La Torre’s amazing vocal range along with stellar guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, Eddie Jackson’s driving bass and drummer Casey Grillo, brought the audience through a set of songs from their first four albums. Fans who prefer the “older tunes” were not disappointed as they powered through “Jet City Woman”, “Silent Lucidity” and “Walk in the Shadows”. Queensrÿche held us mesmerized and closed out their set with “Take Hold of the Flame”, “Screaming in Digital”, and “Empire”. As a solid Queensrÿche fan I have seen them perform many times over the years and I never tire of them and am always left wanting more.

First up on the stage Sunday night from Long Island, NY was Black Dawn, who is an all original metal
band with a unique sound which can be described as industrial metal. They rocked loud and hard and
really got the audience warmed up for Queensrÿche. Matt Kotten on vocals as well as lead guitar really
packed a powerful punch. The other members of the band include Tom Kelly on guitar as well as Shane
Cox on bass, and last but not least was Enzo Di Paolo on drums. Please go out and get their newest cd
titled Until We Meet for more of Black Dawn’s latest and greatest tunes. Black Dawn is a Pavement
Entertainment Artist and you can find them on most streaming services.

Hittman took the stage second and wow they were amazing, they revved up the crowd and got them
ready for Queensrÿche. Hittman exuded a strong Queensrÿche influence in quite a few songs which
made them an excellent choice as an opener. Lead vocalist Dirk Kennedy captively engaged the
audience while guitarists Jim Paschi and John Kristen along with bassist Greg Bier made for an overall
killer stage presence. Hittman recently reunited in 2018 after a long hiatus since 1994. Their last album
Destroy All Humans came out in 2020. You will be glad to know they are playing the Paramount
Hudson Valley again in October of 2022.

I must say this was a Sunday night very well spent, as its always a pleasure to see Queensrÿche as well as catch some opening bands that I haven’t seen before. The Paramount Hudson Valley is a great old
theatre and I hope to attend many more shows there in the future.

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