ALTER BRIDGE – MAMMOTH WVH – RED – LIVE @THE DOME
By Ralph Beauchamp
On a dreary Tuesday night, Alter Bridge brought their Pawns & Kings tour to the Dome at The Toyota Oakdale Theater. For support, they added the amazing Mammoth WVH and Red to the line-up. The Dome was full of excitement as the capacity crowd anxiously awaited all three artists.
Christian rock band Red opened the night with a short but effective six song set. Fronted by lead vocalist, Michael Barnes, the band is also comprised of brothers Anthony Armstrong (Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Randy Armstrong (Bass/Backing Vocals). All three are original members. Touring drummer Brian Medeiros rounded out the ensemble. Their first song, “Death To Me” hit strong right from the start. The Dome’s audience was raring to go.
Images courtesy of Holly Roy Photography
After that Red tore into “Faceless” to their fans delight. The band kept ripping off strong riffs and blaring vocals all night, “Let It Burn” was definitely a crowd pleaser as was “Feed The Machine”. Throughout their set Red delivered and the throng was appreciative. By the time they hit their last song, “Breathe Into Me”, everybody felt the heat. The track is killer. They also announced the upcoming release of their next full length entitled Rated R. Red was the perfect opener for this night.
Mammoth WVH followed. Led by Wolfgang Van Halen, the band slammed with a dynamic eight song set. A plus for the night was the return of guitarist Frank Sidoris. Sidorous missed Mammoth‘s last tour due to the fact he was committed to Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. I saw Mammoth last year when Wolfgang co-headlined with Dirty Honey at Toad’s Place in New Haven. There was a completely different feel here. Wolfgang and the entire band seemed more confident and it also felt more like a full band not just Wolfgang and hired guns.
They started the show with the hard hitting “Mammoth”. The song immediately captured the adoring audience. Everyone was grooving to its glorious vibe. “Mr Ed” and “Epiphany” came next. The Dome was full of electricity. “Stone” and “Think It Over” continued the aural assault. When Wolfgang began “Distance”, his ode to his father, the room felt his love. “You’re To Blame” brought back the heat. The Dome was jumping. Finishing up with his big hit, “Don’t Back Down”. Mammoth WVH was pure dynamite.
As soon as headliners Alter Bridge hit the stage, the room hit a new high. Alter Bridge consists of the marvelous Myles Kennedy (Vocals/Guitar), Mark Tremonti (Guitar/Vocals), Scott Phillips (Drums) and Brian Marshall (Bass). The latter three are all founding members of Creed. Their night started with the fiery “Silver Tongue” from their recent release Pawns & Kings. The Dome was already ecstatic. Kennedy’s vocals were crisp and Tremonti’s guitar blistered. Marshall’s bass blasted propulsive intensity while Phillips’ percussions had stellar vitality. This was going to be a great night.
“Addicted To Pain”, “Ghosts of Days Gone By” and “Before Tomorrow Comes” tracked next. The audience was thoroughly entranced by the sound swirling around them. Kennedy is a consummate front man and Tremonti easily captures the fans’ attention. After “Dead Among The Living”, Tremonti took the mic for a wonderful rendition of “Burn It Down” from their 2004 album One Day Remains. Acoustic versions of “Watch Over You” and “In Loving Memory” were pleasantly received. “Blackbird” was also a fan favorite. “Water Rising”, “Pawns & Kings” and “Isolation” ensued. Alter Bridge encored with a rousing rendering of the mighty “Metalingus”.
The entire evening was laced with intoxicating music and musical joyance. All three acts were intriguingly impressive and melodiously dominant.
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