Alter Bridge with All That Remains and Sons of Texas
The Ritz – Raleigh, NC – 28 November 2017
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to cover Carolina Rebellion, the second of the major festivals in the United States. Both headliners were in attendance, but due to my journalistic duties, I was unable to check either one out. So, when this tour was announced I knew I had to cover it. All That Remains has always been one of my go-to bands, especially their older stuff, and Myles Kennedy is basically a living legend of a vocalist. So, for me, it was a win-win situation.
The first band of the night to hit the stage was rising Texas metal act, Sons of Texas. If you haven’t heard of these guys yet, trust me, you will. The band has made major progress over the past few years, touring worldwide, playing multiple major festivals, and warming up the crowd for multiple headlining acts. Mix in their hard-hitting instrumentation with stellar songwriting and on-stage chemistry, and you have an opener that gives the headliners a run for their money. From the first moment that this band walks onto the stage, they mean business and they show that in every aspect of their performance. I really think that these guys have a bright future in the industry in front of them, and talking to them was an absolute blast. You can check out the interview here.
After the dust settled from Sons of Texas’ set, it was time for All That Remains to hit the stage. The band played a mixed setlist, some of their older songs including, “This Calling” and “Two Weeks”, but also including some of their more radio-friendly songs like, “What If I Was Nothing” and their recent cover of Garth Brooks’ “Thunder Rolls”. Early in the band’s set, they experienced some technical difficulties, mainly on the rhythm guitar and the bass. But once the crew sorted out the issues it was full steam ahead. The band delivered one of the best performances that they possibly could, knowing that they were going into a 15-day stretch of back to back shows. They didn’t hold back anything.
After the stage was cleared, the lights dimmed, and Alter Bridge took the stage. Now, this was my first time seeing this band live, and I can give them credit for a few things. First, their lighting set up is insane. They collectively put on a visual show for the audience and that counts a lot in my book. It seems like for them it is about creating an all-around experience for the fans. When I had the opportunity to talk to frontman Myles Kennedy a few weeks back, we discussed just this, so I had an idea of what I was walking into on this one. Secondly, the band poses for fucking photos. As a multimedia journalist, this makes my life so much easier and it gives me great opportunities to get amazing pictures of the acts on stage. The band played for about an hour, giving the fans exactly what they paid for – a greatest hits collection for their enjoyment.
Overall, this show was pretty damn awesome. If you have an opportunity to check this one out if it hits a city near you, do it. I cannot hype Sons of Texas up enough, you really know what to expect from All That Remains, and this will probably be your last chance to check out Alter Bridge for a while since Myles has his solo album being released next year and an extensive touring cycle in the works for that.
All images © James Geiser
Alter Bridge
All That Remains
Sons of Texas
