Alter Bridge @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville
May 11th 2023: Alter Bridge, Sevendust @ Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY
Sevendust - Photos Courtesy of Emily May
On May 11th, Orlando rock band Alter Bridge brought their Pawns & Kings US Tour to Louisville for a magical night of music! The Louisville Palace is a beautiful historic theater and was packed with fans this evening who were ready to rock out. Aside from the seating on the floor and balconies, there was a pit section right near the stage for a few lucky fans to enjoy each band up close, making for a more intimate experience. Opening the show this evening was the Atlanta rock band Sevendust. Starting their set with “Face To Face”, they performed an energetic 10-song set that included tracks such as “Denial”, “Disgrace”, “Shine”, and “Crucified”. These guys were full of energy from the start of their set and engaged with the crowd throughout. “To those who are new to us, we are Sevendust,” announced singer Lajon Witherspoon early in the set. He was all smiles throughout the set, with him, Vince Hornsby (bass/backing vocals), John Connolly (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Clint Lowry (lead guitar/backing vocals) directly interacting with the fans up front.
They all moved around the stage in an effort to give each side of the theater and crowd ample attention! With plenty of energy themselves on stage, they made sure to get the crowd pumped and moving, as well, with Witherspoon telling the crowd early on, “You can sit down later! Right now, let’s rock!”. He went on to say how much the band loves Louisville and how much they loved and respected Alter Bridge and were glad to be out on tour with their friends! Announcing that their new album Truth Killer would be out on July 28th, Witherspoon asked the crowd who had listened to their new single “Fence” which had just been released that day and who had seen the video, before launching into the song. Towards the end of the song, he had the crowd wave their hands in the air, adding to the fun energy of the set. Towards the end of the set, the band performed “Shine”, with Witherspoon talking beforehand about how special the song was to him, as it was about his younger brother who had died several years ago. He dedicated the song to his brother, saying how much he wished his brother was still alive but how he feels like his spirit and energy are with the band every single night. Ending their set with “Thank You”, he went on to say “Thank you, guys, for always making us feel like family. When you come to see Sevendust, it’s not a concert, it’s a family reunion. We love you. Be safe. Will you have us back again? Thank you! God Bless! We are Sevendust.”
Closing out the evening was Alter Bridge. The crowd was in high spirits, cheering and clapping as soon as the band walked out on stage. Having formed in 2004, they have amassed quite a loyal fan base and it was clear that the band loves their fans as much as their fans love them! The band released their latest album, Pawns & Kings, in October of last year and started out their set this evening with a track from the album, “Silver Tongue”, followed by “Addicted To Pain” and “Before Tomorrow Comes”. Singer/guitarist Myles Kennedy then chatted a bit with the crowd, saying “Louisville! It’s so great to be here! How great was Sevendust? Aside from being some of the best in the business, they are just really great guys. This is going to be a great tour!”. Kennedy, Mark Tremonti (guitar/lead and backing vocals), and Brian Marshall (bass) engaged with the fans throughout their set, shaking the hands of those in the pit area and pointing and smiling at those who were singing along! Kennedy at one point, though, led each side of the venue and the balconies in a “scream-off” to see who could scream the loudest, engaging with the rest of the fans, as well.
A few songs in, Kennedy announced that it was his favorite part of the night where he got to sit back and just focus on guitar before announcing “Ladies and Gentlemen-Mr. Mark Tremonti!”. The band then performed the Tremonti-sung track “Burn It Down”, on which Tremonti and Kennedy both had great guitar solos. Marshall, Tremonti, and drummer Scott Phillips then left the stage, leaving Kennedy on stage alone with an acoustic guitar. He then performed “Watch Over You”, with the emotion of the song washing over the crowd. Two stools were then brought on stage, with Tremonti coming out to join Kennedy. They then performed a second acoustic song together, “In Loving Memory”, with Tremonti playing guitar while Kennedy sang. It was a really beautiful and intimate moment, with Kennedy’s incredible voice carrying throughout the theater and the crowd singing along with him. As the rest of the band came back out on stage, Kennedy asked the crowd if everyone was having a good time. He then joked about how funny it was to ask that because what’s everyone going to say? No, we’re having a terrible time! Get off the stage”, then laughing with the crowd. They then performed the title track from their new album, followed by an introduction of the band by Kennedy. “Thanks again for coming out tonight! You all have been great!”. Then performing "Isolation” and “Metalingus”, the band performed an encore to end the night! Closing out the show with “Rise Today”, the fans sang along one last time! It was a really great evening of music that left the crowd buzzing long after the music ended!
Sevendust
