Venue: See my previous review of House of Blues, Chicago.
The Crowd: (3/5) Like much of the night, took a little warming up but was fun, and gave a good energy.
First Opener--Taking Dawn (3/5) Front man, Chris Babbitt's rocker attitude, and the fact that they had major technical difficulties gave them a very slightly higher score in my book. Taking Dawn has A fun sound reminiscent of 80s hair metal, lots of audience engagement, despite being the first of four bands on the docket. Very energetic, great for an opener. Sadly we only heard three songs.
Second Opener--Adelitas Way (3/5): Adelitas Way was a very pleasant surprise to both me and the rest of the crowd. Despite being the second band of four, they supercharged the audience. Performing with the same energy and professionalism as a headlining band. Many opening bands try to get the audience to respond without success, but with the momentum gained by Taking Dawn, Adelitas Way kept a strong energy going. Front man Ricky DeJesus was not only easy on the eyes, but preformed very strongly and had a surprising voice. The music was bold, energetic, and fun. There was also a nice verity in the songs, ranging from the angry "My Derailment," to the pining "Last Stand" by way of the unrepentant "Dirty Little Thing." Good work on their part, however, i don't know that they've hit their stride yet. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them headline in the future.
Third Opener-- Halestorm (4/5) As with my previous review of Halestorm, I have nothing but good things to say about this little band. Lzzy Hale has a bold, fierce presence and a voice like nothing I've ever heard before. I don't think that her recorded work does it justice. Her live rendition of It's Not You is, frankly, one of the sexiest things I've seen in a very long time. Despite the fact that the majority of their songs are breakup numbers, this band is not a one trick pony, we go from this bold rejection song, to the bittersweet, Familiar Taste of Poison. I won't neglect the rest of the band, who has improved immensely since last show . Well balanced and clear sounding guitar work, is complemented by intense drum work. Drummer Arejay Hale played a mind blowing solo about 3/4 through the set.
Even with this bitter anger on stage, in person Lzzy is the most gracious woman I've ever met. Genuine, and kind, she took a moment to speak directly with every fan at the signing. The rest of her band, were also very freidnly, one of them even recognized me which was a nice touch. Halestorm contunes to improve, and has once again given the show their all.
Main Act-- Theory of A Deadman (3/5). A band that makes you want to grab a beer and chill with friends, TOAD as they are called by fans, has a solid sound. Having only heard a handful of their songs, all from their 2005 album Gasoline I was interested to see what they'd done since 2005. They haven't changed at all. Good music, rather relaxing for a rock show. Front man, Tyler Connely has a pleasantly gravely voice, that brings forward a consistent series predominantly breakup songs(or alternatly, the "I got broken up with" songs) with a consistent sound, lots of fun and a decent energy.
However, there was a lot of predictability in their sound. Many of the songs sounded the very similar weather they came from the first album (self titled, 2001) or their newest (Scars and Souvenirs, 2009) While Scars and Souvenirs is a little more cleaned up, it honestly isn't anything new. While a dececnt band, they do not seem to push to improve.
Upcoming reviews:
The Academy is...
(album) Adelita's way (self titled)
(album) Halestorm (self-titled)
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