The Agora

Cleveland, OH

March 20, 2024

By Michelle Waters

Since 2020, some heavy hitting powerhouses of metal have been garnering the attention of metal lovers across the globe in KK’s Priest. Judas Priest founding member KK Downing, after leaving Judas Priest in 2011, formed KK’s Priest, and thrilled fans. After his departure in 2011, KK had only performed few solo performances the late 20 teens. But by 2020, he’d announced a new iteration of Judas Priest’s music, that would also feature new original songs. Two albums in, and KK’s Priest are going strong. Frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens lights up the stage with his wide ranging vocals and power, as well as his apparent humbleness and appreciation for their fans. Ripper repeatedly shouted with a huge smile that it was so good to be back home. He is from my hometown of Akron, Ohio, and was so proud to be able to perform for his neck of the woods.

This was the first US Tour of KK Priests, and was very well received, with many venues selling oKK Priestt tickets in advance. Drummer Sean Elg and Bassist Tony Newton lit up the stage with their electrical engagement, and KK and AJ Mills rocked out the harmony with dual guitar riffs. KK Priest’s stop at the Agora in Cleveland was filled with metal fans of all ages, swaying together and banging their heads to a great variety of rock music.

Among KK Priest’s set list were Judas Priest hits like dual guitar classic Breaking the Law, powerhouse Night Crawler, and The Ripper. We also heard songs from both of KK Priest’s full length albums: One More Shot at Glory and Strike of the Viper (during the two song encore) from their latest album, The Sinner Rides Again. From their first album, Sermons of the Sinner, we heard Raise Your Fists (also in the encore) as well as a song Ripper renamed for this tour: Brothers (and Sisters) of the Road, honoring supporting act Burning Witches, as well as metal legends LA Guns.

Burning Witches, a Swiss, all-female heavy metal band which caught additional traction from their Holy Diver cover, performed a solid but short set of 6 songs at the beginning of the night. Each member is a standalone performer, demonstrating the current lineup of the band is a solid choice. Courtney Cox, formerly of The Iron Maidens, has recently joined the lineup to round out their sound. Founded by guitarist Romana Kalkuhl in 2016, and now complete with drummer Lala Frischknecht, bassist Jeanine “Jay” Grob and engaging force and lead vocalist Laura Guldemond. It’s always a delight to see them perform live.

LA Guns played a slightly longer set, and did well to cover a decent run of their discography. The band’s chemistry on stage is infectious. Tracii Guns, Ace Von Johnson (also of Faster Pussycat) and Adam Hamilton played off of each others’ fire throughout the set, keeping fans smiling when they weren’t lost in the music. Antics for days. Songs played included hits from the Cocked & Loaded album, Never Enough and The Ballad of Jayne, as well as Sex Action from their title album. The set opened with Cannonball from Checkered Past, and ended with Rip & Tear-another hit from the Cocked & Loaded album.

This tour may have come to a close but you can still catch KK’s Priest at Festivals and a European tour over the summer

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Louisville Palace

Louisville, KY

March 28, 2024

By Shrithik Karthik

ONEUS came to Louisville on March 28, 2024, to perform at the Louisville Palace and they put on an unforgettable show. The choreography, the music, the energy, and the excitement from the crowd were electric. Playing a mix of their music that was slow-paced and then fast combined with the intense visuals and lasers created such a vibrant energy through the venue.

The show started sharp at 7:30 which I thought was such a nice touch, there were no openers, but starting on time is quite rare nowadays. Instantly they danced, they sang, and they went crazy. All the artists were wearing headsets and with all the dancing they did that was the right decision. They were insanely active on that stage, but when they took breaks, they knew to make it as interactive as possible. After a few minutes of incredible dancing, they stopped to interact with the audience and talk to us directly. This was cool to experience from the crowd and during these breaks the group would talk to us in Korean and the translator would speak back to the crowd in English to understand them which was very nice. They would talk about how hard they worked with the choreography, their time on tour, some inside jokes about the group, and more. The audience loved hearing them speak so intimately and it was a nice touch as well. 

The crowd was by far one of the funniest parts of the show, they were so reactive to the group. Since it was a primarily female audience, whenever one of the members of the group did a seductive dance move the audience would scream, and at the end of the songs they would even bark which I thought was very funny. They ate everything up no matter what the group did. Having a very devoted audience is important because it makes the artists perform so much better. After all, they feel like there is a real purpose behind it. I’ve gone to shows where the audience was so bored and the artists wouldn’t give it their all. This however was nothing like that, ONEUS gave it their all the entire time from start to finish which was so fun to see

This being my first K-Pop show I didn’t know what to expect, but wow was it fun. It was so cool to see such a lively and devoted fanbase go crazy at everything the group did and they put on a fantastic show. Can’t wait to go to more shows just like this one. They have a few more shows on tour so make sure to check them out if they’re coming to a city near you.

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191 Toole Avenue

Tucson, AZ 

March 29, 2024

by Mary Andrews 

Victoria Canal made her first visit to Tucson, Arizona on her tour promoting her most recent EP release, Well Well. 191 Toole is a relatively small venue and as soon as Canal took the stage she coined the show a ‘living room’ concert. She seemed to be awestruck by the landscape she has seen since she has been in Arizona. She presently lives in London. Needless to say, there is a big difference in the scenery. As in most living room concerts, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly.

Multi-instrumentalist, Lucy Clearwater performed a 30 minute set singing her self-penned songs from her upcoming EP release, April. Clearwater is a consumate singer/songwriter whose set was a prime example of an intimate yet dynamic acoustic performer. She is touring North America alongside her BFF, Canal. As an old soul and world traveler, Clearwater’s songs are emotional and vulnerable. She is well worth checking out if she is in your area of the world.

Canal casually saundered on stage followed by Clearwater and her bass player. She starts playing keyboards, but she is just as comfortable donning her guitar early in the set. Her voice was commanding yet vulnerable at times quickly engaged the crowd.

The show is all about her songwriting. Canal introduces each song with a story of how she came to write the songs.Her songs address issues such as depression, grief, body dysmorphia, and queerness. Sbe has a way of softening the heavy topics. “Braver” is about her mother, who grew up in Alabama and Georgia but emigrated to Spain. “You’re braver than I’ve ever been,” the chorus runs, and Canal spoke about how her mother not only moved to a country whose language she couldn’t speak but also broke off an engagement in order to marry the first man she met in Spain, Canal’s father. 

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While introducing “Yes Man,” Canal mentioned that she wrote the song while on a writing retreat in Spain with Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay. He gave her the task of writing a song on his Veillette Gryphon guitar in the time it took for him to do his daily laps of the pool. Canal accomplished the task very well.

“She Walks In” addresses body image and body dysmorphia. Around the most brutal lines of the song, “I’m ugly and nothing will fix it, I’ll never be pretty to you.” Canal seemed unable to sing at moments. 

During most of the set, Canal is very relaxed onstage, feeding off the energy of the fans. She encouraged audience members to hug single members in the crowd (And they did just that). Canal’s default sound is a whispery head voice, but at times, she sang with loud, wide, pain-filled wails. iIf the song touched something unexpected inside her, the crowd was very aware of Canal’s feelings.

Canal created an atmoshere of self acceptance.Throughout the night she took every opportunity to speak to her audience. She touched upon her struggles with her body image and that it helps to know that many people are struggling with it too. She performed an encore per request from her audience after she jokingly said she hadn’t prepared an encore but would “pull one out of my ass and come back if you want me to.” Canal’s lyrics and dynamic vocals  truly made her stand out on stage. If you have the opportunity to experience Canal’s concert, please go.

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Feb. 17, 2024

Silver Legacy

Reno, NV

On February 17, 2024, I had the opportunity to take my wife to see Air Supply in concert. Prior to the show, I was unaware of the band’s immense popularity in the Philippines. In an interview, they expressed their deep connection with the country, stating that they have become a part of the Filipino DNA. Therefore, it was no surprise that the Philippines was chosen as the location for the world premiere of “All Out Of Love the Musical”, an original musical based on the band’s classic love songs. It took six years to bring the production to the stage, but they felt that it was the perfect medium to showcase their music.

Russell thinks that Filipinos’ emotional and passionate nature makes them excellent singers.

Inigo Pascual and Miguel Odron remake Air Supply’s classic hits “All Out of Love” and “Lost in Love” as part of Tarsier Records Air Supply Reimagined Project.

They were amazed by the number of remakes of Filipino songs that have been released. They enjoy hearing others perform their songs in a different way than the original recording and find it comforting.

I believe that the reason why Filipinos hold a special place in their hearts for this particular show is because there are always a large number of Filipinos in attendance. At one point during the show, after the third song was played, the performers asked if there were any Filipinos in the audience, which was met with a resounding response of laughter. Looking around, I noticed that most of the people sitting near and around me were indeed Filipinos. The show itself was quite enjoyable, with the performers treating the audience as if they were in their own living room. Additionally, many of the fans were able to get up close and personal with the band during the show.

For some background Air Supply is a soft rock formed in Australia in 1975.  They met a chords try out for Jesus Christ Superstar. And at the tryout they became friends and know they had something why could work with.  Over the years they have had many session player but Air Supply is really the same two guys Graham Russel and Russell Hitchcock.

They claim they have never had a fight. And I really believed that by how they interacted with each other during the show.  And as they get closer to their 50th anniversary their shows became more magical with each performance.

https://www.facebook.com/inyourfacephotography/videos/807103341439801

The setlist were the following:

Sweet Dreams

Even the Night

Just As I Am

Every Woman

Here I Am

Chances

Goodbye

I Can’t Wait Forever

G’s Spot

Two Less Lonely

The One that I Love

Lost in Love

Making Love

“It was a wonderful night, closing out with “Without You” and “All Out of Love”, after hearing all of their hits. Even if you don’t know all of their songs, I’m sure you’ve heard them time and time again. Just a friendly reminder that their 50th anniversary is coming up and they are going on tour. If they come to a city near you, be sure to check them out.

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March 3, 2024

Little Caesars Arena

Detroit Michigan

by Dedan Blackmon

On March 3rd, The Love Tour entered Detroit, Michigan, with lines thrown by the Ultimate Black Promoters Collective. The lineup included Keisha Cole, K Michelle, Jaheim, and Trey Songz. When I arrived at Little Caesars Arena, I knew it was going to be an exciting show. Every corner of the Arena was surrounded by fans waiting to see the show. BPC, you’ve done it again. The DJ was on stage getting the crowd hyped up with the ladies singing every word and dancing to the songs he played. Then you hear “DETROIT, ARE YOU READY” for Mr. “Panty Dropper” himself, Trey Songz.

You can see why record producer Troy Taylor picked Tremaine Aldon Neverson, known as Trey Songz.  Trey Songz was signed to Songbook Entertainment label, in a joint venture with Atlantic Records in 2005. Trey Songz has released eight albums, including I Gotta Make It, Trey Day, Ready, Passion Pain Pleasure, Chapter V, Trigga, Tremaine, and Back Home. He also has 59 singles, two EPs, and 29 music videos. His 2010 album, Passion, Pain, Pleasure, saw continued commercial success and reached number 2 on the charts.

Trey Songz walked out on stage wearing a purple shirt and pants, sunglasses, and hair braided. He paused at center stage and said, “Detroit, what’s up?” The crowd went berserk with overbearing screams. He sang “NaNa,” “Slow Motion,” “Heart Attack,” “Bottoms Up,” “Say Aah,” “Panty Droppa,” “I Invented Sex,” “Birthday,” and more. Trey Songz surprised Detroit with an appearance from Kash Doll, who came out representing Detroit and lit up the arena. She blazed the stage with her hit song, “Oh Boy,” but while she was performing, you couldn’t help but notice something different.

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Then it hit me, she’s expecting, and sure enough, she was. Congratulations on your blessing, Kash Doll. She also performed her new hit, “Pressin.” Kash Doll, keep representing Detroit like you’ve been doing. Much love. 

When Trey Songz exited, the ladies went crazy for him when he took off his shirt and walked off stage as the band ended. 

“Keisha Cole” first stepped on the scene on June 21, 2005, through A&M Records with her debut album, “The Way It Is,” that received Platinum certification. Keisha Cole has released 12 albums such as “Just Like You,” “The Way It Is,” “A Different Me,” “Calling All Hearts,” “Reset,” “Point Of No Return,” and “Woman To Woman.” Keisha Cole has also won many awards, including Vibe Award, NAACP Image Award, Billboard Music Award, Bet Award, American Music Award, Soul Train Award, Urban Music Award, Ascap, Grammy, and many more. She has accomplished so much, with many hits such as “Love,” “I Should Have Cheated,” “Heaven Sent,” “Let It Go,” “I Remember,” “Last Night,” “Woman To Woman,” and more. 

As you see the fog filling the stage and pictures appearing on the screen, the DJ says, “Give it up for Keisha Cole,” and she walks out in a black fur hat, black lingerie with see-through arms and stomach and legs, a platinum KC chain, and black boots as she enters the stage. Throughout her whole set, Keisha Cole basically showed how romance and love are supposed to be, step by step, from embracing your mate to holding to kissing and so on, giving you a fantasy. She tells a story with it, engaging you where you’re all in. She sang songs like “Love,” “Let It Go,” “I Remember,” “Heaven Sent.” Her outfit for “Heaven Sent” was fire, a white cowboy hat with rhinestone beads on the hat, a white bustier with strings hanging down with rhinestone beads at the end of the string, with a fur skirt wrapped around the bustier. She was just killing it all around. Keisha Cole, you have nothing but praise from me. I bow down. 10 stars. A special thank you to Tresa Sanders and Daylan Cole and BPC for giving me the opportunity to review that magical night.

Keisha Cole   Website | Facebook | YouTUbe | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram |

Trey Songz  Website | Facebook | YouTUbe | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram |   

Kash Doll   Website | Facebook | YouTUbe | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram |    

Mercury Ballroom

Louisville, KY

March 21, 2024

By Shrithik Karthik

Babytron came to the Mercury Ballroom on March 21st after previously being rescheduled to put on a show that led to fans wanting more.

The openers did their job to hype up the crowd but Certified Trapper not being there to perform at all and the entire show running substantially late was quite disappointing in its own regard. The DJ made sure to keep up the energy in the crowd but the loudest the crowd ever was the entire show was when he played “Fighting my demons” by Ken Carson one of the most hype songs in the underground rap scene. The Ken Carson effect if you will, but the energy was never the same.

Babytron was now finally up and after waiting for quite a while, the crowd was excited to see him. Slowly walking out he began to perform but the apparent lack of energy slowly affected the crowd as time went on. Barely smiling, barely moving around with substantial energy, it seemed as if he had zero interest in being there. I will say he did a good job of rapping a lot of the song, the backtrack was very minimal and it was nice to hear him rap his songs. Babytron with his rhythmic, but times-new-roman style of rapping was interesting to hear in person, but the lack of stage presence, production, and visuals made this not as intriguing of a performance as it should have been. The fans were disappointed by the short performance and the concert seemed to have ended much earlier than its stated time. Babytron has been on tour for a while already having performed more than 15 shows on the road and it has been affecting his performances. The concert while being short was by no means bad, it was just an experience that could have been executed differently. As Babytron continues to grow in the rap industry maybe he will come back to deliver a performance that will truly change the game, however, only time can tell.

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Avenged Sevenfold

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Indianapolis Indiana

March 19, 2024

By Shrithik Karthik

Avenged Sevenfold came to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 19th as a part of their Life Is But A Dream North American Tour and this show was definitely one for the books. To say Indiana showed out would be an understatement, on a Tuesday night Indiana came with the energy.

After 2+ hours of opening sets by Sullivan King, and Poppy the time was finally here and the fans were about to be given what they wanted. The lights went dark, and the pre-show videos began to play. The music began to get louder, and the band came out. Out of nowhere M. Shadows comes out with this crazy mask to the song Game Over. Immediately I felt just how huge the stage was. The screens with the visuals were ginormous, quite possibly some of the biggest that I have ever seen. Another thing to note was just how huge the stage was, it was quite literally 7 feet tall, and the photo pit was massive as well. This definitely affected the fan pit as their view was a bit obstructed, but honestly, it didn’t matter because they made sure to keep up the energy. The beginning was such a good preview of the show to come because Avenged Sevenfold knew how to start a show. Playing some songs that everyone in the audience knew was really cool to hear and see and seeing them this close was a crazy experience for sure. 

Though a lot of Avenged Sevenfold’s music varies between rock and metal they made sure to play a good mix of their more hype songs and their slower songs. So much of the crowd knew their songs and he let the crowd sing some of the most popular songs which made us feel like he really cared about his fans, and he definitely did as he even said that “Indiana as a whole has gone above and beyond.” A fun little part was when he joked with the crowd giving a speech about how they played at Ozzfest, and they were playing the song Blinded in Chains and how the crowd literally booed them off the stage because they were excited about seeing other bands perform. He talked about how the album they created seemed like it couldn’t be translated to the stage but that simply was not the case as the crowd went crazy after hearing them eventually play Blinded in Chains. He played a few songs from that same album, the energy, the lights, the visuals, and the overall ambiance from these songs were insane. The visual strobes were so intense, and it was just something else. 

This was an Avenged Sevenfold concert so what would it be without mosh pits? There was a huge frenzy of moshing going on at the back of the pit, but they made sure to keep it a little separate to not knock into the people who were not too keen on moshing. I loved the fact that they were so respectful about this, oftentimes I’ve been in the pit and when I don’t want to mosh, I get knocked into. They looked like they were just having so much fun and M. Shadows even brought attention to the circle they were creating which must have felt good for the moshers. Every single one of the band members was ridiculously talented, the drummer was genuinely unreal. This might have been the greatest drumming I have literally ever seen, and Brooks Wackerman is truly such a talented individual. The guitarists were also fantastic as well and so talented, some of the riffs they played were insanely cool and the crowd definitely appreciated seeing them shred. 

The vocals from M. Shadows were beautiful, his ability to inflect his voice from high too low to coarse and more was so crazy to hear live. Singing everything with barely any backtrack was also so nice to watch and hear and is something that should always be appreciated by any artist. To end the show, they bowed it out with a long song “Cosmic” that was rightfully fitting as a final song. A mix of a slower pace but such a beautiful song was the perfect finale for this show. The visuals, with the band’s talent and M. Shadow’s incredible singing, make this a must-see show for any Avenged Sevenfold lover. They still have a few more shows for their North America dates on tour so be on the lookout if they are coming to a city near you!

Avenged Sevenfold Website | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram |

Prudential Center

Newark, NJ

March 10, 2024

By Shrithik Karthik

Don Omar came to Prudential Center on March 10th for his Back To Reggaeton tour and completely sold out the arena. This was an absolutely fantastic performance and truly so fun to watch. There is just so much to say about the entire show, the effects, the visuals, the dancing, the atmosphere, everything was just so well done.

The show began with the DJ who played his set to warm up the crowd and he did such a great job of doing so. Playing some Latin hits that the audience very much enjoyed, he did such a great job getting the crowd amped up for Don Omar’s performance. Suddenly the lights went dark, the music went mute and the visuals began. A frenzy of lasers, lights, music, and more, the show had begun. It was off with a BANG as fireworks and pyro shot out at the same time as the beat dropped and Don Omar emerged from the back of the stage. The crowd exploded with energy to see the star of the show. There truly was so much energy at the beginning which the crowd immensely appreciated. Instant energy came from Don Omar the second he came out. The dancer’s outfits were so intricate being covered in shiny studs and wearing black masks. Song after song was just filled with such great energy. To close out the final three songs in extravagant fashion fireworks exploded in the air as Don Omar bowed to the crowd. 

What was really great about this show was the story. There were different acts with different outfits and different themes. The entire show felt very futuristic mainly with the visuals. When Don Omar changed his outfits which were all very different from one another visuals would play on the big screens. They were so artistic, techno, and unique. Glitches, fast cuts, and more would play on the screen with a VHS-like feel which I personally have never seen done in a show the way this was done. This theme was apparent throughout the entire show and in all the different acts. The backup dancers would also change their outfits but the best part was how no two dancers had on the exact same outfit which I thought was really cool. 

I think what made this concert so special, especially at this venue, was just how much fun Don Omar had on stage. He truly loved the New Jersey crowd in fact he mentioned Jersey over 7 times throughout the concert. The venue was completely sold out, filled with mostly a latinx crowd but people from many countries like Peru, Mexico, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and many more. He made sure to interact with the crowd in a way that felt like he was talking directly to us which felt so special. In fact, he reacted directly to many people in the crowd and I think he even smiled at me! The energy from this New Jersey crowd was truly something else. So many people sang along to all of his songs and everyone around me was so immersed into the concert. Being on the floor surrounded me with Don Omar’s biggest fans and you could definitely tell that they were locked in. 

The 3rd and final act was by far the best part. It was so much fun as Don Omar played some of his biggest Reggaeton hits and it just felt like one big dance party. He did so well hyping up the crowd through the last part of the concert even blowing a kiss to the crowd. The ending was just so cool as confetti exploded into the air, fireworks flew into the air, and pyrotechnics shot out. The crowd cheered some of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard and it was incredible. Don Omar bowed to the crowd and walked out but it wasn’t over yet. The crowd continued to cheer asking for more and eventually, he answered coming back out to perform a few more songs. He closed out the concert with Bandoleros, an absolute classic and such a fantastic song. He gave one of the best final speeches I have ever heard. It felt like he was speaking directly to each and every single one of us and his speech resonated with me so deeply.  

This is a must-see show if you are a fan of Reggaeton and Latin music and make sure to catch Don Omar if he comes to a city near you. The tour just started so be on the lookout for any of his shows and don’t miss out on one of the best concerts of 2024!

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Avenged Sevenfold

Rocket Mortgage Field House

Cleveland, Ohio

March 9, 2024

By Andrew Latshaw

Looking back to the year 1999 in Huntington Beach, California, that is where this musical journey began. The original lineup consisted of M. Shadows (vocals), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), The Rev (drums), and Matt Wendt (bass). While the band formed in 1999, it would not be until 2001 when they exploded onto the scene with their debut album titled “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”.

I remember hearing them for the 1st time shortly after I left college, and my initial take was that they reminded me of Dio’s solo work, and when I learned that it was this new band called Avenged Seven-Fold, I was enthralled! Over the years, I never was able to catch them live, but I did always have a tape or CD of theirs in my rotation. They were great for road trips; I loved their evolving sound that would teeter between rock and metal.

As the guys were gaining popularity and recognition, they lost the Rev to an accidental overdose in 2009. Not only was the Rev their drummer, but he was also the original drummer, and one of the beloved founding members. While this cataclysmic event shook them and the music scene to its core the show must go on, as they say… and it did in fact go on! Fast forwarding to 2024, this was a big night for me! Not only was this the first time I was able to catch them live, but I was also there to photograph them!

The openers on the night of the show at the Rocket Mortgage Field House, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio was Sullivan King and Poppy. I was not sure what to expect from either of them, having never heard of them. Sullivan King started his set by carrying a torch back and forth across the stage a couple of times before getting into his set. He struck me as a DJ more than anything. Playing some original mixes, and also playing some songs that were songs that were cut and pastes of other songs and artists. I personally do not care for that, and it kind of hit me in the feels when he used a small sample of Linkin Park’s “in the end” toward the end of his set. I love Linkin Park, and that just did not set well for me.

Up next was Poppy. I was not sure what to think of her set really. There were a few of her fans throughout the arena. While her set was extremely high energy, and rhythmic, I am sad to say that I may be getting too old to understand what she was trying to convey… I did not really understand the point she was making. She had a guitarist, and a drummer backing her up on the massive stage wat was set up there at the arena. Due to the 7ft tall stage it literally engulfed her and was hard to follow her as she danced and moved around.

I cannot stress enough, please check these people out on YouTube and other streaming services! This is purely my opinion, and I never mean to persuade someone to ignore or miss out on something that you may in fact love to listen to! Unfortunately for me, I was there for Avenged Sevenfold, and their start time could not get there soon enough for me!

I am not sure how many readings this know, but when you photograph a concert at a larger venue, industry standard is you are allowed 3x songs from the pit in front of the stage. There are some that are different, there are some you are only allowed to shoot from the soundboard, AKA front of house. After Sullivan King’s fist 3x was done, I checked my gear and walked around talking to the concert goers around the concourse! I was curious who they were here to see, what songs they were looking forward to hearing and so forth. I did the same for when Poppy was playing. I watched some of her set, and back to the crowd!

While I was walking around, I was reminded of the power of music, and not just the power but the majestic possibilities of music. As I walked around the arena, I saw people as young as 4yrs old, and one guy who described himself as and I quote: “The oldest child you will ever meet stuck in the decaying body of an old geezer!” he said laughing! He was running around on a scooter, and I asked him if he was worried that he would get hurt if the show got rowdy, he said: “I am not worried at all! Things get too excited; I will run some Mother F**kers over!” then he beeped his scooter horn! I could not help but laugh hysterically! I fist bumped him and then moved on to talk to some others. I loved seeing the age range of the people and fans! The crowd was so diverse in age, race, and every other category you can imagine… it was truly a beautiful site to see!

The time had come for Avenged Sevenfold to take the stage. I ran to security to get my gear and get suited up for the headliner of the night. While I was preoccupied with my gear, I heard the others talking about Matt wearing a mask on stage. I thought to myself that does not seem likely… I did not think that they were in that sort of stage presence. As the show started, sure enough Matt was wearing a ski mask. It was black and embroidered across the forehead in a small white font: “I LOVE YOU” and then on the bottom, covering he throat it said in a larger font: “NOBODY”. I will say that it made for some interesting pictures.

After the initial befuddlement of the mask, it hit me… 25yrs that Avenged Sevenfold has been around, and 22yrs of listening to them, I was finally there and experiencing these amazing musicians live, in person, and I was not dreaming! They opened their set with the house speakers playing Nightcall (Kavinsky song) as the guys were getting into place. Matt sat way back on the stage, in the center in a wingback chair for most of the 1st song of their set which was “Game Over” and then he finally came to the front of the stage where the 15x photographers clambered to get their stills of him in that mask.

After “Game Over”, they went seamlessly into “Mattel”. At the back of the stage, there was this huge screen with a projection of a house on it. During their performance of “Mattel”, the house was seen burning and consumed by the flames. Trying to combat the stage of pictures, I did not have the mindset to try to understand the meaning of the burning house. I will say that the visuals of this in person were pretty awesome!

The 3rd song of the night, and our final song in the pit was “Afterlife”. The guys took turns walking up to the front of the stage, to give the fans a closer look at them. The screams from the crowd were overwhelming and deafening! There were points where I felt the percussion of the music, but all I could hear were the fans! This was just so fantastic to feel and experience in person!

You hear people today saying that they can feel the vibe, or people were vibing… standing there in the pit at Rocket Mortgage Field House, I felt that arena on another level… I felt the pure and raw emotions that this crowd had for these men! The overwhelming feeling of the atmosphere there on the floor was immeasurable to say the least!

“Afterlife: had reached its end, and as the wave of photographers were trying to get out of the pit to be compliant of the rules and respectful to the band and venue… it hurt me to hear them start playing “Hail to the King”! I love that song; I would say that is my favorite song of their entire catalog! I missed most of it having to stow my gear to go watch the rest of the show.

Overall, I would say that it was an awe-inspiring performance! The guys in A7X were as lively and energetic as ever! People have said over the years that anticipation makes the heart grow founder… I waited 22yrs to see these guys and it was astonishing to finally check A7X off my list of my “Must See Shows!”

My contact there at the arena, she and her two assistants were professional, and accommodating! They got the wrinkles of the behind-the-scenes issues ironed out with quickness! I have photographed the arena for Hockey and Monster Jam events in the past, never have I shot a concert there to this point, and they made it seamless for us! I do hope to be invited back!

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Tempe, Arizona

March1-2, 2024

By Mary Andrews – photo and words

Photos of Larkin Poe by  C. Elliott

This was the inaugural edition of the Extra Innings Festival occurring the weekend after the Innings Festival. It’s no surprise that another weekend was added since the last six years have been so successful for the festival in Arizona. The weather has been perfect for the last two weeks.  And don’t forget to check out week one coverage..

Extra Innings had opportunities to see MLB legends Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Braun, Tim Raines, Rollie Fingers and more. There was also a live talk show, “Off the Mound With Ryan Dempster,” in which the World Series champion hosted interviews and performances from surprise guests.

The fans have been very receptive to the festival with its close proximity to Arizona State University. Here are some of the special moments of the Extra Innings Festival.

Chris Stapleton headlined Friday night. He began his set with “White Horse” playing his electric guitar as he stood at the front of the stage. He followed with “Parachute” and “Second One to Know.” He addressed the crowd, “Hello Arizona. Welcome, thank you for being here with us tonight.”  Stapleton is usually a man of few words and this seemed like the longest speech that he has ever delivered. 

He performed “Starting Over,” “Millionaire,” and “Hard Livin.” The fans were mesmerized by the country crooner throughout the set as he delivered many brilliant guitar solos along with 20 favorite Stapelton tunes. And let’s not forget his performance of “Tenneessee Whiskey.”

 For a complete set list:

Charley Crockertt brought his classic country sound to his set to the delight of the country fans. Strange to think the singer has released 12 albums in eight years with his latest album being The Man From Waco in 2022. His set included covers of Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” and Ernest Tubb’s “Just a Drink Away.” Both songs blended seamlessly with Crockett’s original tunes. He packed many songs into his short set that seemed to be timeless and ageless. 

Setlist: 

Elle King brought her country and pop vocals to a scorching mid-day set. She dressed in a red skirt outfit that mused of a flirtiness to the large crowd. She pulled out her popular “Ex’s & Oh’s” in the middle of the set along with Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” and “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” were offerings from her 13 song set. Evidently country music is not a new genre for King, but she has evolved into it since her big single “Ex’s & Oh’s” in 2015, as evidenced by her latest release Come Get Your Wife. Even though she is more country now, she still has her ‘rock ’n roll’ edge fans have come to love from the singer.King is a strong woman in the country genre breaking down the doors of bro-country. 

Setlist: 

Ryan Bingham had fans craving for his brand of country rock. The field was packed to capacity as Bingham took the stage. His grins throughout the set garnered the crowd’s attention and added to their mood. His songs are personal and politically charged. The audience sang along and were fully engaged throughout the show. Bingham encouraged as much audience participation as possible, and one couldn’t help but oblige.  He kicked off the set with “Nothin’ Holds Me Back.” “The Weary Kind” and “Hallelujah” were included in the offerings of the night. Setlist

Dave Matthews Band was in the headlining spot of the Extra Innings Festival on the second Saturday. One thing that fans can depend on is that no DMB show is ever the same. If you saw their previous Innings Festival show in 2020, there was very little repetition.  

DMB performed hit songs as well as some covers. Who would have thought Matthews would cover David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” or Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles?” That they did and much more. The band performed multi-genre of music. Matthew’s music crosses many generations of fans as seen in the crowd. 

Their special guest, Jennifer Hartswick ,trumpeter and vocalist from Trey Anastasio Band, made the evening very special, even by DMB’s standards. Hartswick joined the band for “Jimi Thing” marking her first ever collaboration with the band. She completed the threesome of the band’s other brass including trumpeter Rashawn Ross and saxophonist Jeff Coffin. They transitioned into a cover of ZZ Top’s “Cheap Sunglasses” and after continuing on with “You & Me,” Matthews stopped to acknowledge Hartswick and thank her for sitting in with the band. 

The band tours throughout the summer and it’s well worth catching their show! Setlist

The Innings Festival and the Extra Innings Festival were very special this year and left the fans craving for next year’s festivities.

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