This blog is the second of two blogs about the 2011 Rockstar Uproar Tour. To read the first installment, click here.
Rockstar Uproar 2011
Verizon Wireless Music Center – Indianapolis, IN
9/17/2011
Status: We had just heard Sevendust crush the side stage, and Escape the Fate and Bullet for my Valentine do some damage on the main stage. Three powerhouse bands left, culminating with the legendary Avenged Sevenfold. I was on crutches in the pit, but the security guards let me take breaks and sit in the front row of empty seats in between acts (thank God), so I was feeling pretty good.
Take a deep breath. Here we go. Rockstar Uproar – bring it home.
Seether –
I thought for a long time about what to write about Seether. I’ve liked Seether since the “Karma and Effect” album came out, and Remedy blew up the radio. Positives? I love Shawn Morgan’s voice. They are from Johannesburg, which is just cool. They consistently put out good music. However, this is my 4th time seeing them live, and I just have never been that impressed. As cool as it is that they are a three piece, I feel like it really becomes their Achilles heel. I think it effects their music because they don’t utilize the bass creatively enough to compensate for the lack of rhythm guitar (see Sick Puppies). In addition, it limits their activity on stage, as Shawn is EITHER rocking out the guitar OR singing, but never both. (That’s pretty tough to do, but it is possible. See: Dave Grohl).
The best part of this show was their new single Country Song (in the above video), as it is a very cool song to see live. I love at the climax of the song, when there are no lyrics and Shawn just lost it. I also really liked Remedy and Fake It, but only because they are good songs and not because seeing them live made them better. In addition, the song Tonight was a nice change of pace and really showcased Shawn’s voice. Final Assessment: Seether is a solid B band. They put out high quality albums, and will always put on a decent show. However, to raise themselves into the top echelon, they really need to bring more live.
Three Days Grace –
Next Up: The ever great Three Days Grace. Here’s the thing: like them or not, Three Days Grace puts on a REALLY good show. Adam Gontier is simply too good to allow this band to ever be mediocre (although I have to mention that he had some nasty grease-ball hair at this show). Their show at Uproar was high quality as always, and they did what they do best, which is accentuate their diversity and talent. My notes from this show remind me that I loved when Adam blew the whistle to start the song Riot (which is always a great song live), and I really loved the mix they did with Home and Eminem’s Lose Yourself. I always appreciate when a band is confident enough to do something unique, and this was totally different from anything else that I saw that day at Uproar.
There was a bit of an expectation problem with this show for me, because earlier this year I saw 3DG headline a small venue in Cincinnati, and they absolutely blew my mind. So, my anticipation for this show was a bit unrealistic. With that to compare to, if I had to find a flaw in this show, it was that it was just a touch vanilla. This show, because it was part of a festival lineup, felt crunched for time and limited what kind of chances 3DG could take. Overall – really good show, but I really recommend you go see them when they headline sometime – as comparatively it is a clear step better.
Avenged Sevenfold –
Ohhhhh Avenged Sevenfold. I wrote in a previous blog that if you haven’t seen A7X, you are flat out missing out. They are just incredible live. It’s amazing to me that this is the third time I have seen Avenged Sevenfold this year, and they still absolutely blew me away. The anticipation at this show was HUGE. Before the curtain even came down, fire started going off and there was 22,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs. When they finally started into Nightmare, I couldn’t even hear the intro. Later in the show, M. Shadows eventually apologized for skipping Indianapolis for so many years. I hope we gave them a reason to come back soon.
This show was incredible front to back. I could go on and on, but here’s my thoughts from this show specifically:
- As individual musicians, the people in the band are just incredibly talented. As always, Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance dueled on the guitar for a good portion of the show, and their skills just fascinate me.
- M. Shadows really has to be considered the best in the business as a front man of a band. He was born to own a stage, and had no trouble connecting with 22,000 people. Incredible.
- A7X always has great sets. The previous one was really cool, and I don’t know that I can say this one was better, but I will say that this set was completely bad ass. I mean, a Death Bat that spans the entire stage and shoots fire from about 15 different locations? Crazy. Whoever A7X has building their sets and doing their lights, give them a raise.
- They purposely played some throwback songs at this show that don’t usually make it to the live show. Songs like Second Heartbeat were really cool to see live. Props for doing that.
- As always, A7X talked about The Rev, and M. Shadows dedicated So Far Away to him, as it was written about him. During the song, we turned around to see everyone holding up lighters (or phones). This is usually no big deal, but the sheer VOLUME of people doing it was really cool. There were so many, the lights blurred together and it completely lit the place up like it was the middle of the day. Listening to the emotion in M. Shadows voice during that song, and watching 22,000 people give them respect, is a concert memory that I will never forget.
- People can argue musically about bands all day long, but as far as live shows go, A7X is second to none. I’ve always said that Slipknot’s show is the best there is, and I hold them up on a pedestal, but A7X is getting awfully close to knocking them off that pedestal. This show was just flat out incredible.
- Final point – As I sat down and tried to process what made this band so great live, it dawned on me: A7X is having an absolute blast playing their music. These guys have known each other since they were little kids, and just absolutely love playing music together. (Which draws clear parallels to Slipknot). M. Shadows is running around the stage having a BLAST, they are smiling, making each other laugh. Compare that to a band like, say, Staind, where Aaron Lewis just stands there, and literally said “I’m really tired of playing this song, but you guys love it, so whatever” last time I saw them. Those attitudes are as clear as night and day to the audience, and I think that’s what makes bands like A7X so great on stage. If they love it, we will love it. In case I didn’t hammer this home quite enough – I LOVED it.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Clint Lowery’s blog, who is the lead guitarist for Sevendust:
“Hello Chicago, you gloomy son of a B$^*H. Love this city to death, but can’t stand the weather…Yesterday we were in Indy and it could possibly be the best Uproar show so far attendance and intensity wise…I did not expect that at all.” – Clint Lowery
Until Next Time. Cheers!
“He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.”