The Venue (Congress Theater, Chicago IL; (3/5)— A little out of the way of where most concerts are, my friend and I wound up taking a cab for fear of getting lost. Though it’s only a few blocks from a blue line stop.
Upon entering, it feels like you’ve stepped into a theater, rather than a concert venue. While the first “seating tier” has been gutted to accommodate a dance floor/pit area, the rest of the building still looks and feels very much like a theater complete with marble floors and a huge domed ceiling reminiscent of the pantheon in Rome. The balcony levels even still have red carpet. The stage also has some odd left over aspects of its theater days including the lighting system, which could be lowered after the show for easy adjustment/ clean up.
One thing that, I felt was interesting and kind of nice is that both the seated areas (balconies and what would be the “second tier”)and the dance floor were covered by “general admission” price (40$) so that if you want a place to sit or stash your merch, you can do so without shelling out extra money.
The floor itself is a little less nice than other places. It consists concrete floors and a shoddily carpeted sound booth made of untreated wood and duct taped in places.
The bars while lower contents than some of the concert hall bars I’ve seen they were clean and the tender friendly. I never buy more than water and often that comes in an awkward plastic cup, which you still have to pay four bucks for, or a small bottle. I was pleasantly surprised when I got two nice twenty-ounce bottles for fewer than five dollars.
The sound system, oh, the sound system. The first thing I noticed was it was nice and loud, which is quite frankly a must for a metal show (or any rock show for that matter) and the volume had little if any effect on the sound quality. There was still a little trouble with the voice to music ratio but not as much so as at the Vic.
I did not get to the bathrooms at this place, no report there. This was largely due to the fact that I did not want to leave the floor (see reviews below)
The crowd: (2/5 for most of the show 3/5 for Staind itself). This show illustrated the problem of being an opener, or going to a show explicitly for one of the openers—bored crowds. There’s a certain kind of attitude that happens in many concertgoers, which I find rather rude. They still and emanate boredom while very clearly thinking “Oh god, when is my band/ song coming on.” It’s an understandable, even forgivable, occurrence when the band is not that great, or it’s a band that truthfully has only one or two good songs. Despite understanding, I find it obnoxious that people don’t at least put a little effort forward for someone who is putting their life’s work out there and exposing raw nerves, for your entertainment.
However, the crowd seemed to slowly wake up as the night progressed, despite the first opener being far better than the second. When it came time for Staind, as is typical of the main act coming out, the crowd lit up substantially.
Which brings us to the acts themselves.
The First Front Act (Halestorm): (4/5). They had a hard slot to play the first of four bands the opener for the people opening for the opener; it’s no easy task to wake up the audience. As if that wasn’t enough, they are a female lead band in a genre that is still largely male dominated. It takes a very strong, often brazen, woman to get to break the genderwall and really rock out like she did. From the first second Lzzy (sic) Hale opened her mouth I was struck by her powerful chest voice which I am convinced , had it not been for the loud guitars, would have been able to reach the backmost section of the balconies without a microphone. Her appearance gave no indication that she possessed this capability; Hale had a slight frame, and a childlike face. The phrase that came to mind was from an old Meat Loaf number: She had “a heart of chrome and a voice like a horny angel.” Metal needs more women like Hale. While the band behind her was still a little green, I have confidence that they will grow into a very good band. I look forward to seeing them headline.
The Second Front Act (Chavelle): (3/5) Another hard slot to play for these guys. An avrage metal band. Chavelle was what I’d call a good opener, but not worthy of buying the CD (even if it was only 10 dollars) but a fun listen. A little more of the traditional “cookie-monster” voice and thrash guitar. However I felt they needed fewer seizure lights and more talent.
The third front act (Shinedown): (4/5) I had the same potential problem with Shinedown as I did with Our Lady Peace. I had been previously blown away by their performance when I saw them in July and had very high expectations. Shinedown was my impetus for attending so , in fact. Despite the crowd’s general ennui, front man Brent Smith brought a commanding performance and even got the majority of the crowd moving.
Smith’s graciousness and almost regal presence isn’t all he brings to the stage. He engages the audience constantly with direct crowd interaction and commanding vocals. Smith puts a lot of power behind his work and you can tell that this isn’t just for show. Genuine emotion comes through in his music despite his professional behavior. Smith also clearly loves his fans like his own family and, while he oozes confidence from every pore, he also is very sincere when thanking his fans. Unlike many metal vocalists, he is also incredibly articulate both in his performing and when speaking between numbers.
In addition to how the treatment of the fans, I feel you can tell a lot about a performer by how they treat their band mates. Smith’s dynamic with his band mates was very strong both in sound and in physical interaction. He often sang face to face with his guitarist or bassist. The strong relationships on that stage were nearly palpable in the audience. Equal parts bond and talent these interactions were as powerful as the show itself.
Smith’s lyrics are hard edged, and emotionally charged while still eloquent and sincere. Instead of using his music as a vent for depression as many artsist do, Smith's uses his songs to inspire confidence. Instead of licking wounds, he encourages listeners to take the grievances visited upon them and use that pain to push forward and become stronger. This is particularly notable in “Sin With a Grin” and “Devour.” However, Shinedown is not a one trick pony, Smith’s slower(including "45" and "Second Chance") songs evoke genuine pain and a vulnerability not common in metal.
The Main Act (Staind) (3.5/5): I confess, going in I did not have high expectations for Staind. I hadn’t heard more than one or two songs of theirs since their 2001 album “Break the Cycle” They have always been in my head a touch whiney and “teenager music” for lack of other descriptor. However, I positively adore their slower songs, and Halestorm was signing afterward so I stayed. With a low bar, set I was pleasantly surprised when Staind brought a decidedly more metal edge to the stage than anticipated. They grew up from a whining, but marginally talented band to a genuinely good metal band. I was very tired at this point having been jumping and head banging for approximately 3 hours prior, so many of the songs I wasn’t as familiar with blended together so parts of the show felt a little hazy. Then towards the end of the show, something snapped into place and the crowd sparked with a new life hitherto unseen. (It didn’t hurt that it was catalyzed by one of my favorite guilty pleasure songs entitled “For You,” whose lyrics, I think, prove that front man Aaron Lewis has some severe mommy/daddy issues to work out.) The crowd was on fire.
Then for two of the last three numbers Lewis moved from the front stage to a “stage” in the sound booth, which was right behind where my friend and I stood. From here he talked about, and sang the two songs that put stained on the map (“Outside” and “It's Been a While”) With just him and his guitar I was able to see what I had mistaken for simple whininess was, in fact, genuine emotion. Every single person in that room was singing along during those two numbers. It was almost like it was a different show—it was very powerful. Lewis’ face also showed a genuine surprise and gratitude at the amount of love coming from the fans. That kind of reaction goes far for me, proving that you haven’t, in your climb to fame, forgotten who put you there.
Good show on Staind’s half, however, I have to agree with the analysis of a fellow fan, Shinedown belonged in the front line space at this show, with Staind as an opener. Not the other way around.
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