Allen "Big Al" Tate

Let me preface this article by pointing out that the biggest reason I went to this show was to see Stone Temple Pilots since I’ve only seen them once in their entire existence. Unfortunately, someone in the STP camp tested positive for the dreaded “C” word so they had to cancel their appearance in Evansville along with a few more of their upcoming dates. Obviously, this is something that’s out of the band’s control so I hold no ill will toward them. I do, however, feel a little contempt for Ticketmaster AND The Fold Center for not announcing this until the doors to the event opened. I spoke to several people in the venue who were oblivious to the fact that STP wasn’t performing that night and voiced their disdain for lack of communication on all parties involved. Moving on…

Black Stone Cherry – This was my second or third time seeing them. I know for sure I saw them once at Rocklahoma. I think I saw them there twice but I’m too lazy to go back and research their past appearances. Anyway, these guys are a solid, high energy group that gave it everything they had the entire time they were on stage. They played for a full hour, which was nice since openers typically only get 20 to 45 minutes. Chris Robertson has some pipes. I really enjoyed his singing and he did an excellent job of interacting and engaging with the crowd. I was impressed with him and Ben Wells swapping lead guitar duties. They were both on fire. Steve Jewell is their current touring bassist. That dude can head bang. I think I got a neck ache watching him. John Fred Young’s drumming was on point. I noticed a few times that he was having technical issues surrounding his drum kit but it didn’t hurt his performance. One of the highlights of their set for me was their cover of Tracy Chapman’s Give Me One Reason. They gave it a little bit of their own flavor.

Halestorm – I’ve seen them at least 5 times now. It was my third time seeing them here in Evansville and at least twice at Rocklahoma. This time was a little different. In the past I don’t ever remember there being lots of “dear air” between songs. I can only think that they did this to stretch the show to equal the amount of time all three bands would have been on stage had STP not had to cancel. There was hardly any interaction between Lzzy and the crowd. I feel like all that dead time could have been used to excite the crowd. It just felt like a big disconnect. Now when the band was playing, they were tight and on point. Arejay did his typical drum solo with his giant drumsticks. While I’m not a fan of that schtick, I totally get it. I equate that to Gene Simmons breathing fire and spitting blood. It’s a beloved part of the act. The highlight of their show for me was the light show. It was fantastic.

Even though I didn’t get to see what I really came for, overall, I’m glad I still went. The music was enjoyable and it beat sitting on the couch watching reruns on TV.

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