Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
City: St. Louis, MO
Venue: The Factory STL
Opening act(s): Pistols At Dawn, Mammoth WVH
Headlining act: Alter Bridge
Mammoth WVH Setlist:
Mammoth
Mr. Ed
Epiphany
Stone
Think It Over
Distance
You’re To Blame
Don’t Back Down
Alter Bridge Setlist:
Silver Tongue
Addicted To Pain
Ghost Of Days Gone By
Dead Among The Living
Broken Wings
Holiday
Burn It Down
Cry Of Achilles
Watch Over You
In Loving Memory
Blackbird
Waters Rising
Pawns & Kings
Isolation
Metalingus
———————
Rise Today
Open Your Eyes
Notes:
- Third time seeing Alter Bridge live.
- Third time seeing Myles Kennedy with Alter Bridge; seventh time seeing Myles overall:
- First time seeing “Silver Tongue,” “Dead Among The Living,” “Broken Wings,” “Holiday,” “Burn It Down,” and “Pawns & Kings” live.
- Mark Tremonti sang lead vocals on “Burn It Down,” which is sung by Myles on One Day Remains.
- “Watch Over You” was played solo acoustically by Myles Kennedy.
- “In Loving Memory” was played acoustically by Mark Tremonti with Myles on lead vocals.
- First time seeing Pistols At Dawn & Mammoth WVH live.
- Mammoth WVH includes Woflie Van Halen on lead vocals and guitar.
- Second time seeing him live after seeing him with Van Halen on April 1, 2012.
- First time seeing guitarist Frank Sidoris with Mammoth WVH; fifth time seeing Frank overall.
- Show #1 at this venue.
Videos:
Review:
My review of my last Alter Bridge concert, which was in St. Louis, MO on October 14, 2019, ended with some famous last words:
Hopefully Alter Bridge will return to the area next year with a full headline set.
We all know how that went.
Alter Bridge continued to tour in support of their then-new album Walk The Sky in early 2020. There were a couple of shows somewhat close to here (like Chicago and Indianapolis), but on weekdays when I couldn’t make it work. But then none of that matters, as the pandemic wiped out their entire tour and it never resumed.
Which made me thankful I was able to catch them on that tour at all, especially since Walk The Sky ended up winning my 2019 Album Of The Year award.
After everything shut down in 2020, Alter Bridge dropped the Walk The Sky 2.0 EP, which featured one new studio song and live versions of almost every Walk The Sky song they managed to perform live during their short tour. In 2021, Myles Kennedy released his second solo album, The Ides Of March, and Tremonti released their fifth album, Marching In Time. 2022 saw Myles return to working with Slash & The Conspirators, and they released a new album titled 4 before going on a short tour (which I caught in Kansas City on February 25, 2022).
Alter Bridge has been one of the most consistent bands I’ve ever followed. Since their 2004 debut One Day Remains, they’ve dropped a new studio albums every three years. 2022 kept that trend alive, as they released their seventh album Pawns & Kings on October 14, 2022. If it weren’t for Def Leppard and Ghost, Pawns & Kings would have been a lock for the year’s Album Of The Year award. It’s a more than solid follow up to Walk The Sky, which is likely my second favorite Alter Bridge album.
The Pawns & Kings tour didn’t really hit the US until early 2023, kicking off in late January. Thankfully that included a stop in St. Louis on March 14. Technically in the suburb of Chesterfield, the show was booked at a newer venue called The Factory. Which was exciting and stress-inducing at the same time. Everything I had seen about the venue looked cool, but there is an element of anxiety when it comes to traveling to an unfamiliar venue. Hell, I still have anxiety about getting to shows at venues I’m familiar with easily. Being a weeknight didn’t help.
Thankfully, the venue has plentiful parking and is easily accessible.
In fact, I was quite impressed with everything from the moment we arrived.
This may be a new venue for me, and it may have been more than three years since my last Alter Bridge show (which took place at The Pageant)… But this quote from that show’s review still applies:
Since I’m now in my 30’s and this was a weekday show, I was not about to fuck around with general admission tickets on the floor. Once again, I splurged for the reserved (21 & over) balcony seats so we would have a good view and not have to get there super early or stand all damn night.
The balcony at The Factory may not have been limited to those 21+, but it was more expensive tickets for reserved seats. And I gladly paid for them rather than deal with the general admission floor.
First up on the bill was Pistols At Dawn. I knew nothing about them going in.
I remember nothing about them now.
Next up was Mammoth WVH. I had seen Wolfie once before (April 1, 2012) during his days in Van Halen. His solo band has been at it for awhile and released their debut album in 2021. A second is due later this year, and I have enjoyed the songs I’ve heard on the radio to date. So I was looking forward to seeing how they were live.
Coincidentally, Mammoth WVH’s current lineup also features Frank Sidoris on guitar, whom I’ve seen perform with Myles Kennedy and Slash a few times.
They fittingly hit the stage with “Mammoth” and squeezed eight songs into their forty-ish minute set.
The band sounded great musically and Wolfie was entertaining between songs as well. The entire setlist was drawn from the band’s self-titled debut, including “Mr. Ed,” “Epiphany,” “Stone”, and “Think It Over.”
Lead single “Distance” is certainly a bittersweet song to listen to. “You’re To Blame” and the heavy rock radio hit “Don’t Back Down” closed out the set.
By this point, I was quite settled into the show. During the break, I remembered that this was a brand new venue for me, and I was even more impressed with it now that I had a chance to ‘hear’ it in action. The big open space in a mostly metal building had me a little concerned over the sound quality, but it was actually just fine.
Finally my three-plus year wait to see Alter Bridge play a proper headline show came to an end as they took the stage with “Silver Tongue,” one of the singles from last year’s Pawns & Kings.
The band sounded as good as ever and I once again found myself wondering why they don’t have a massive following here like they do in Europe. It’s goddamn criminal!
But at least I still get to see them.
The classics “Addicted To Pain” and “Ghost Of Days Gone By” followed. I had a vague idea of what would be played, but they had also been rotating a few songs each night to keep things fresh. Some oldies were rotated, as well as some newbies. I would have been happy to see any of the new songs live for the first time, but I was hoping for two in particular…
One of which came next, which was “Dead Among The Living.” It’s likely my favorite song on the new album and had only been played a few times before this show, and those performances were more than a month ago. So it was awesome to hit the jackpot with the one I wanted to see most.
The other one I wanted the most, “This Is War,” didn’t make the cut this evening.
But I was still treated to other new songs I hadn’t seen before as well as a couple of oldies I hadn’t previously seen, starting with “Broken Wings.”
Alter Bridge returned to Pawns & Kings for “Holiday.”
It’s not uncommon for guitarist Mark Tremonti to sing lead at some point during a show. He’s been doing backing vocals in the band since day one, sang some co-lead vocals on their third album, and has sung lead on one song on nearly every album since. But his first lead vocal performance during this show was on “Burn It Down” from One Day Remains, which was sung by Myles on the album. The song was well suited for his vocal style, but I would have preferred to just have Myles sing it.
Alter Bridge returned to ABIII for “Cry Of Achilles” before Myles performed a solo acoustic rendition of “Watch Over You.” As usual, the US crowds simply don’t handle their part of this song as well as the European crowds (once again, I’m referring to Live At The O2 Arena).
Mark returned to join Myles for a stripped down “In Loving Memory” before the full band returned for the epic concert staple that is “Blackbird.”
Tremonti returned to lead vocal duties again for his own staple, “Waters Rising.” I would have been happy if it had been dropped in favor of “Stay” from Pawns & Kings, but that’s ok.
The title track from the new album followed. It wasn’t technically a single, but it was the first song released when the album was announced and I was immediately sold on it. And it was great live too.
The main set closed with “Isolation” and “Metalingus” before a brief encore break.
Alter Bridge returned to close things out with two of their oldest, biggest hits: “Rise Today” and “Open Your Eyes.”
It was a fantastic show in a great venue, so I was quite satisfied. 17 songs, including six I had never seen before (four of which were drawn from the new album)… But sadly, 2016’s The Last Hero and 2019’s Walk The Sky were completely ignored.
But hey, it’s early enough in the tour that if they were to come around again, I would definitely go see them. Perhaps then I’d get some different new songs and a few other classics thrown in.
Media Preview:
On Tour: Alter Bridge | 03.14.23, The Factory
Alter Bridge has been an unwavering force in rock music since their debut, and Tuesday the band returns to St. Louis venue The Factory on the heels of their newest album release, Pawns & Kings. Forming in 2004, the band packs a powerhouse lineup. Frontman Myles Kennedy touts an impressive résumé, including lead vocals for Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash’s backing band—dubbed Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators—and even subbed in for Axl Rose during GnR’s 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony when the singer failed to show. There is no shortage of talent to be found in Alter Bridge, with Kennedy being supported by former Creed members Mark Tremonti (guitar/backing vocals), Brian Marshall (bass), and Scott Phillips (drums). Following the breakup of Creed, the trio united with Kennedy and embarked on a journey that has produced 7 albums with over 5 million copies sold worldwide. Alter Bridge has set themselves apart from Creed by performing as a cohesive band instead of a vocalist with track backing. Where Creed was decent for what it was, they lacked the guitar solos and vocal range that has put Alter Bridge at the forefront of rock music. Beastly riffs by Tremonti show the skill he has with his instrument, check out “One Day Remains“ and “Bleed it Dry“ for an example of this if you are new to the band. Tremonti also has an eponymous band—Tremonti—that has seen commercial success in recent years and can often be heard on SXM radio. Fun fact: Tremonti’s former bassist Wolfgang Van Halen is the vocalist for Alter Bridge’s opener Tuesday—Mammoth WVH.
Pawns & Kings, released in October 2022, is the bands seventh studio album, and climbed up to #2 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock charts rapidly. It has been described by critics as remaining true to the band’s classic form, with big choruses and heavy guitar riffs. The title track is an impressive six minutes long, with vocalist Myles Kennedy displaying his incredible range backed by Tremonti, who adds depth and thrashing guitar riffs to the album. The fifth song on the record, “Stay,” is a standout, with Tremonti’s vocals and memorable bass support by Brian Marshall. Drummer Scott Phillips makes himself known in the albums third song, “Silver Tongue,” which is arguably the best song on the album.
Alter Bridge is being supported on tour by Mammoth WVH and Pistols At Dawn. Mammoth WVH is fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen, who follows musically in his late father Eddie Van Halen’s footsteps in terms of vocal and instrumental talent. Mammoth WVH began as a solo project while the younger Van Halen was still active in his father’s band Van Halen with his first single, “Distance,” being released in November 2020. Wolfgang has cited music as a therapeutic for him while watching his late father battle lung cancer and eventually a stroke. The band’s name is a tribute to his dad, with Mammoth being the name of Eddie Van Halen’s first band. Mammoth WVH showcases Wolfgang’s talent as he performs lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and piano in the band. Currently he has added touring artists Frank Sidoris (backing vocals, guitar), Jon Jourdan (guitar, vocals), Ronnie Ficaro (bass, vocals), and Garrett Whitlock (drums) who will be present at Tuesday’s show.
By Erica Vining @ TheArtsSTL.com, 2023
Media Review:
Concert Review: Alter Bridge | 03.14.23, The Factory
The Factory was the place to be, with concertgoers turning out in droves to cheer on “mosh pit granny,” who could be found throwing her horns and screaming along to every song. Orlando-based Alter Bridge just happened to also be in the building, and once our friend of advanced age found her place securely on the rail, the applause turned to the stage for the night.
Atlanta band Pistols at Dawn opened the show with their single “Gauntlet” off their eponymous 2019 album. The band looked much different when that single dropped, since that time experiencing the tragic loss of guitarist Mike Buffa as well as a few member changes. The current lineup fronts vocalist Cris Hodges supported by Devin White and Will James on guitar, Sean Benham on bass, and drummer Adam Jaffe, who is one of the founding members of the band. The energy and sound of Pistols at Dawn was incredible, blending rock and grunge seamlessly to provide something that sets them apart in a competitive genre. James was an easy standout of the night, shredding through songs with ease despite his young appearance, a smile continuously plastered on his face. We caught up with the guys following the set and they were equally as animated off stage, sharing stories of shenanigans at Applebee’s on their off day and how much they’ve enjoyed the company of Alter Bridge, describing them as “the nicest guys ever.” The band’s latest album, Ascension, released in August.
Mammoth WVH followed Pistols at Dawn, continuing the night’s trend of technically savvy musicians. Frontman Wolfgang Van Halen sang and played multiple instruments, displaying impressive skill that supported the notion he was born with a guitar in his hands. Van Halen was supported by Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan on guitar, Garrett Whitlock on drums, and Ronnie Ficarro on bass. Complex, heavy riffs and chest-pounding percussion were matched by punchy bass grooves that carried the audience through the eight-song set, featuring favorites such as “Don’t Back Down” and “Epiphany.” It would be easy to overtake the vocals with three guitars playing through nearly the entire set, but Mammoth WVH used their instruments well in complementing each other and just barely avoided chaos.
Alter Bridge set up quickly following Mammoth WVH, a confident Brian Marshall taking the stage with a wave followed by a smiling Myles Kennedy. Marshall effortlessly played through hammer-on riffs with Mark Tremonti on guitar sliding down the fretboard with ease. Tremonti’s skills were on full display in the second song of the set, “Addicted to Pain,” with an impressive guitar solo that my husband described as “insane.” Scott Phillips was planted firmly in the back of the stage on drums but his near abusive smashing of cymbals and the remarkable speed at which he plays put him at the forefront of the set multiple times, with “Blackbird” being a particularly standout performance by the drummer. Tremonti and Marshall frequently met up through the night to battle with their respective instruments which provoked excitement from the crowd every time. The band played through an impressive 17 song set including “Silver Tongue” and “Dead Among the Living” from their newest album Pawns & Kings, released in October of last year. They encored to a roaring crowd with “Rise Today” and the classic “Open Your Eyes,” finishing strong for the evening. I came into the show as a casual fan familiar with a few songs from the band, and I left wanting to hear more and thoroughly impressed with the musicality I witnessed onstage. There were certainly no Pawns to be found that night at The Factory, only Kings. And one notable Queen, that of the rail, Granny.
By Erica Vining @ TheArtsSTL.com, 2023
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