HALESTORM AT FIRST BANK AMPHITHEATRE IN FRANKLIN
If there was ever a lineup guaranteed to deliver a high-octane night of metal and rock, it was one featuring Fit For a King, Hollywood Undead, I Prevail, and Halestorm. Playing on a warm and humid night at First Bank Amphitheatre (a reclaimed limestone rock quarry) in Franklin, TN, the tour brought some of today’s best rock to Middle Tennessee for a night that attendees are going to remember for a long time.
Fit For a King kicked things off with an explosive set. The Dallas-based metalcore band showed why they’re at the forefront of the genre with a relentless energy that set the tone for the evening. Tracks like “Reaper” , “When Everything Means Nothing”, and their new single “Technium” had the crowd headbanging all night. Anyone who has seen FFAK before knows that it is a guarantee to see Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary, the band’s bassist, jumping from stage risers to amazing heights throughout the set, and this night was absolutely no exception. Even though it was a very warm night in this outdoor venue, the band never slowed down and delivered a blistering set that was sure to make new fans of anyone in the audience who had never heard their music before.
Next up, Hollywood Undead took the stage with their signature blend of rap-rock and alternative metal. The band’s set was a high-energy mix of fan favorites and newer tracks. Hits like “California Dreaming” and “Everywhere I Go” were met with enthusiastic cheers. Many of the band members have relocated to the middle Tennessee area recently, and they even joked that they should change the name to “Brentwood Undead” as a nod to the Nashville suburb that many of them now call home. Even further highlighting this fact, the band invited their children to the stage to say hello to the crowd and introduce one of their songs. To cap off a stellar set, the band launched into their biggest hit “Undead” which had the entirety of the crowd singing and rapping along.
By the time I Prevail took over for their one hour co-headline set, night had fallen, the temperature had cooled, but the audience was just heating up. Performing on a stage that was backed by giant LED screens, the Michigan-based band who rolls with a dual lead vocalist set-up delivered a powerhouse performance, blending their heavy riffs with soaring choruses and dynamic breakdowns. Songs like “Bow Down” and “Hurricane” showcased their knack for balancing aggression with melody. The band played many fan favorites throughout the night, including one that everyone knows but with a twist. I Prevail covered Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” several years back, and the rockers made sure the crowd heard it, because they knew it was wanted. One of the lead singers, Eric Vanlerberghe joked that they played the cover strictly for the audience, but the ending- that was strictly for the band. Upon that declaration, the band launched into an even heavier ending for the famed song. The crowd loved it, and so did I. They closed out the night with “Gasoline” and bid the crowd goodnight.
Finally, Halestorm closed out the evening with a set that proved why they’re one of rock’s most beloved acts. Lzzy Hale is impressive on recordings, but I would venture to say that live, she is untouchable. No one does it like her. Her powerhouse vocals and charismatic stage presence were on full display. Sharing the headline duties for this tour, Halestorm played a blend of newer songs with the favorites that fans of the band would expect to hear. Opening the night with “I Miss The Misery”, the band set the tone for a night that would indeed be as raucous as it was special for the affectionately named Freaks in the crowd. For “Familiar Taste of Poison”, Lzzy invited guitarist Jared James Nichols to share guitar duties with Joe Hottinger which made the song sound even more epic than it already does normally. There is a running joke among folks in Nashville that you never know who is going to show up on stage with an act as a guest (or in the crowd), and the show this night was evidence of why. They closed out the night with “I Am The Fire” and “The Steeple”, ending the night in a way that only Halestorm can. As the crowd filed out of the amphitheater, you could still feel the electricity of the night in the air.
I knew this tour was going to be a heavy-hitting, rocking good time when it was announced, and I am happy to say I was not disappointed. It was a great night of music in a beautifully unique venue filled with older songs everyone loves to new favorites we are just getting to know.