Who: Alter Bridge – Walk the Sky Tour
Where: The Rave/Eagles Club, Milwaukee Wisconsin
When: February 15, 2020
Alter Bridge is a hard rock band that is most commonly known for its melodic tunes, heavy riffs, and intense dual guitars. The band was formed in 2004 by Mark Tremonti (lead guitarist, vocalist), Myles Kennedy (vocalist, guitarist), Brian Marshall (bassist) and Scott Phillips (drummer). Alter Bridge is currently touring in support of their sixth studio album Walk The Sky. Walk The Sky enjoyed the #1 spot on the Billboard Hard Rock, Top Rock, and Internet album chart. The album is a bit of a change from their previous work as it contains more synth and keyboard layers yet still bear all of the classic elements of previous Alter Bridge albums. There are plenty of soaring vocals from Kennedy, mind-bending solos from Tremonti, and the constant heartbeat of the Alter Bridge rhythm section of Marshall and Phillips.
This leg of the Walk the Sky tour included a favorite stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It may have been a cold winter Wisconsin evening, but Alter Bridge fans were ready for their favorite four-piece to warm up The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee. Alter Bridge fans, known as the Army of 12, never hesitate to travel to see one of the best live performances around. There were diehards who had traveled from Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. There were also a few international travelers who had made the journey from as far as Glasgow Scotland and Taipei Taiwan. The Army of 12 had an excellent showing in Milwaukee.
The evening began with DEEPFALL, an original rock band from Michigan. They played a short set with one of the highlights being an innovative version of Separate Ways(Journey cover). Next up was Clint Lowery. Some may know Lowery as the much loved Sevendust guitarist. Lowery recently released his first solo album God Bless the Renegades. Lowery’s vocals are impressive and he has assembled a very talented, high energy band. You can’t help but be entertained by bassist Pat Seals. He is clearly having the time of his life out there. The tunes were well received and Lowery’s band did a fantastic job energizing the crowd for Alter Bridge.
As the lights go down, we hear Myles’ whispering intro to One Life. You can feel the excitement in the room. There is no feeling quite like seeing your favorite band live in concert. Whether it’s the first time or the 50th time it never, ever gets old. Once the lights go up, the set starts out with the first single from Walk the Sky – “Wouldn’t You Rather”. For those who weren’t sure about the songs on this album, you won’t be once you hear them live. They sound so good! The addition of Jeremy Frost on keyboards adds a new and welcome dimension. There was a good mix of new and old songs throughout the set. We were treated to a rare live performance of “You Will Be Remembered”. A fan had requested the song as a tribute to his cousin, Trooper Joseph Bullock who was a FL State trooper killed in the line of duty. For a change of pace Tremonti assumed the role of lead vocalist for “Forever Falling”. Though his style is different than Kennedy’s, Tremonti has developed into quite a talented lead singer. For those who appreciate Kennedy’s acoustic performances, “Watch Over You” had a bit of twist from prior tours. Myles started out solo and the full band joined him later in the song. It was beautiful, but for me there is nothing better than the simplicity of Myles and an acoustic guitar. No Alter Bridge show would be complete without an epic performance of “Blackbird” complete with guitar solos by both Tremonti and Kennedy. This night was no exception. Crowd participation was peaked for “Open Your Eyes”. It is always exciting to hear the crowd take over lead vocals for “Open Your Eyes”. An enthusiastic “Metalingus” closes out the set, with “Godspeed” and “Addicted to Pain” as the encore.
If you have not seen Alter Bridge, you should. They are some of the most talented musicians in music today. Catch them on their next US tour that starts in May with Black Stone Cherry and Saint Asonia. Head over to their website and find a date near you.
SETLIST:
One Life- INTRO
Wouldn’t You Rather
Isolation
Come to Life
Pay No Mind
Ghosts of Days Gone By
Broken Wings
You Will Be Remembered
Rise Today
Cry of Achilles
Forever Falling
Watch Over You
Blackbird
Open Your Eyes
Metalingus
Encore:
Godspeed
Addicted to Pain
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Post and photos by Brenda Daniels (Instagram | Facebook |Website)
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