Photos / Review: Daughtry Rocks New Hampshire

Who: Daughtry, Sinclair

Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, New Hampshire

When: April 8, 2018

Chris Daughtry first came onto the scene in season 5 of American Idol. Since then, he’s released a bunch of original music and become a household name in rock. The band’s last release was 2013’s Baptized, with a new album coming this summer.

Opener Sinclair started the night with a 30-minute set and her music was not to my taste. Her music toes the line between rock and pop, with some parts of one song being more pop and another part being more rock, but I don’t feel that she’s found the perfect combination of the two yet. The venue was also too big for her, as it seemed that she was only able to connect directly with the fans in the first few rows. I was sitting further back and did not feel like I got the connection that those fans did. I did really like Sinclair’s skills on the guitar; when it was just her on the guitar, I absolutely loved it. Her drummer was also incredibly talented and a lot of fun to watch. Overall, Sinclair’s music was just not my taste. She seems to take her music more to the pop side than the rock side, so I probably will not rush to see her again. If she really develops the guitar in her music, though, then I will definitely rethink that decision.

Headliner Daughtry took the stage soon after Sinclair to an audience who was more than ready to see them. It was a seated venue and we were told to stay away from the stage before the show had started, which most of the front row chose to ignore as soon as the band came on stage; there were even fans who deserted their seats a few rows back to crowd the stage for the rest of the night. The show started with a new song, “Just Found Heaven,” off Daughtry’s new album, which absolutely blew me away. It sounds nothing like their old material and will launch the band to new heights when it releases. The setlist had plenty of old favorites like “Feels Like Tonight,” “It’s Not Over,” “Home,” “Waiting For Superman,” and “September.” Daughtry also performed “Backbone,” another fantastic track off of their new album. Chris Daughtry performed a stripped-down cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and the entire band played “Purple Rain” to finish out the show, but my favorite part of the night was getting to hear the new material.

No matter what song the band was performing, they gave the entire show their all. Chris Daughtry did not sing one note wrong and the band was on point the entire night. Chris Daughtry did an excellent job of reaching every person in the audience, even the ones sitting all the way in the back of the venue. To those who were standing right in front of the stage, he frequently reached down and clasped hands with them, which almost ended with him being pulled into the audience. It was just a spectacular performance all around. The night was fun and energetic and I will definitely see Daughtry again, especially if it means I get to hear the new material.

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Post and photos by Karen Shalev

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