LZZY HALE & JOE HOTTINGER PERFORMING LIVE AT HIGHER GROUND
By Crystal Valerie
On Saturday, January 25, at Higher Ground Ballroom, half of the GRAMMY® Award-winning quartet Halestorm brought the love to Burlington, Vermont. Despite frigid temperatures, fans lined up to witness a cozy night of acoustic hard rock punctuated with heartfelt piano ballads that showcased Lzzy Hale’s powerhouse vocals. Joe Hottinger’s gift for scorching guitar riffs delivered the heat, much needed after fans had braved the cold. The duo delighted the crowd with fun asides and stories from the road, even playing a few Halestorm tunes that hadn’t been heard live since the early 2000s.
Lzzy and Joe provided a warm and intimate session of stripped-down rock tunes, while the rest of the band—Arejay Hale (drums), Josh Smith (bass), and the majority of the crew—took a much-needed break. Fresh off a summer of co-headlining with I Prevail, half of Halestorm is taking a rest, gearing up for a new album release in 2025, which Lzzy acknowledged early in the evening.Thanks to the help of a skeleton crew, they finished out their short tour with a bang playing to a sold-out crowd. So, why were they taking a month out of their schedule to tour as a duo?
When the lights go down at the rock show
You’ll be right in the front row
Heart and soul, they both know
It’s where you gotta be
After a rowdy start with “Rock Show”, Lzzy and Joe explained that they were fulfilling their desire to give fans a glimpse into what it might be like if they were hanging out with Halestorm in their living room. She expressed her deep love and appreciation for their fans, describing how they were more like family to her. She encouraged everyone to follow their hearts and “fuck everyone else.” They followed with a rendition of “Bad Girl’s World”, getting fans to sing along, wave their hands, and share in the power of love.
Speaking of love, Lzzy and Joe shared a saucy story that led to the creation of “Do Not Disturb”. They followed the exciting tune with a powerful rendition of “Heart of Novocaine” before tantalizing the audience with a handful of covers, peppered between a few lesser-known Halestorm songs. Starting with a rousing rendition of “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, Lzzy brought nostalgia back for many longtime fans with Halestorm’s “I Forgive You”.
“Into Your Arms” by Nick Cave and “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley came next, with Lzzy and Joe seizing every moment to engage with fans about their musical history. While Lzzy admitted to not knowing much of the music that came after 1989, Hottinger had helped her with that when they met early in the band’s career. In turn, Lzzy said she got to introduce Hottinger to some of her favorite ’80s metal, including Skid Row, and the duo covered “I Remember You”, demonstrating how well they work together both on and off the stage.
After a brief, a cappella “She Won’t Mind”—a short tune technically part of another song on their setlist, but performed as a standalone—they followed with “Break In” and “Raise Your Horns”. Both are powerful ballads that evoke feelings of hope, love, and unity. Before launching into “Love Bites (So Do I)”,
Lzzy and Joe took a moment to reflect on how things were a bit different performing without her brother, Arejay, manning the drums, admitting that the last song had a much faster tempo than usual. Then, the pair reminded the crowd why they’re Platinum-selling metal artists with frenzied versions of “Mz. Hyde”, “Amen”, and “I Miss the Misery” before getting the crowd to rock along with “I Like It Heavy”.
By the end of their two-hour set, Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger had the audience fixated on their playful antics and compelling stories, truly accomplishing their mission to provide fans with an unforgettable experience. They ended their set with high-energy songs “I Get Off” and “Bad Romance”. The latter a Lady Gaga cover from their ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP.
Before their last song, “Here’s to Us”, Lzzy and Joe thanked the audience, encouraging everyone to raise their glasses and join in a toast before returning to the stage for another cover—this time, Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman”, another song from ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP. Before making their final exit, Joe flicked his guitar picks into the crowd, watching with glee as people shined their flashlights to hunt for them, which is a common occurrence in the concert world.
Unlike most concerts, however, this one ended with the two musicians signing battery-powered candles and other set items to hand out to the audience, demonstrating the close-knit relationship the band has with their fans. It’s clear that after more than two decades together, Halestorm has no plans to slow down.
With any luck, they’ll make Vermont a stop on their next tour.
Here’s to us, here’s to love
All the times, that we messed up
Here’s to you, fill the glass
‘Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass
If they give ya hell
Tell em to go fuck themselves, here’s to us, here’s to us
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