Words and Photos by David Ross Lawn | Posted Thursday, August 3, 2023
Following their successful 30-city North American tour, Alter Bridge are currently now venturing on their summer 2023 leg of the “Pawns & Kings” tour: with support acts of long-time friends SEVENDUST and recent tour-mates MAMMOTH WVH. The Stone Pony Summer Stage was the second date of the month-long tour, and it was such a pleasure to capture some of the magic and write-up a report on my experience and takeaways.
If I were to sum up this evening in one word, it would be “energy” — the moment I stepped foot into the Stone Pony Summer Stage, I couldn’t help but notice the sheer number of attendees proudly sporting the band’s merchandise from previous album tours. I could hear folks excitedly bonding over their merch, discussing previous shows and their experiences. This type of energy felt so unique and positive: I love when you can feel that sense of fan community; especially since the band formed back in 2004 and is evidently still going very strong with Pawns & Kings being their seventh album, released on October 14th. I personally listened to this band when they came out with Blackbird in 2007, so it was a pleasure to see them in my hometown with such artistic resilience. The crowd ranged in age and it was lovely to see so many excited families waiting for the show to begin.
The opening band was Mammoth WVH: a brilliant showcase of work by Wolfgang Van Halen with a trio of supporting instrumentalists: Frank Sidoris on guitar, Jon Jourdan, guitar, Ronnie Facarro on bass and Garrett Whitlock on drums. Mammoth’s debut album dropped in 2021, where Wolfgang played all of the instruments and sung all the vocals, and I could tell that many in the crowd were excited to hear songs from it live. I could immediately detect familiarity between the crowd and the music: with many folks at the barricade and rows back knowing all of the words and providing an electrifying response. While photographing I could feel the intense rush of adrenaline from the guitar riffs and solos: such immense skill and walls of sound from Wolfgang and the other instrumentalists.
Following Mammoth WVH was SEVENDUST, who I couldn’t help but stay incredibly locked in and listening after photographing for the first three songs. The group had such immense attention to the energy of their surroundings: speaking with the crowd, building connection with the thousands of people in a somehow intimate way, and beyond their music, providing a feeling that felt like a family enjoying time together. Their performance was incredible, and I noticed the pacing of the music notably moving in such an organic way from one song to the next. The musicianship across the vocalist and instrumentalists was astounding and ultimately so fun to watch.
Then Alter Bridge took to the stage, of course to rapturous applause and celebration from the Summer Stage crowd. The music across the entire set was so tight: I was immediately so impressed by the Myles Kennedy’s vocals: he manages to make everything he does appear so effortless, while to anybody that is aware of vocal pedagogy, it’s evident that he’s so polished. The other band members work so well with Myles, taking on their own moments throughout, Mark Tremonti had some amazing guitar solos which are very instinctive to him and his style, Brian Marshall held down the bass parts and Scott Phillips kept the rampant pacing on drums. What I think is notable about Alter Bridge as a band both off-stage and on is how captivating Myles is as a front-man— he is, of course, vocally brilliant, yes, but there’s also such depth to the lyricism of the music, and his delivery of the lyrics came through so clearly to me, which isn’t always the case with live music. You can tell that the band is on the stage to create moments, tell stories, embrace the music they created and share it tirelessly with their fans, and I appreciate that so much. I also appreciated also how the lights and sensory experience in general reflected the lyrics and the holistic energy of the set-list. This show was one to be remembered for sure, and I can’t wait to catch and capture Alter Bridge again when they inevitably return to play again in New Jersey.
Remaining Tour Dates:
Aug 4 – CHARLESTOWN, WV – The Event Center at Hollywood Casino
Aug 5 – GRANTVILLE, PA – Hollywood Casino Outdoors
Aug 7 – RICHMOND, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
Aug 8 – CLEVELAND, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
Aug 10 – QUEBEC CITY, QC – Agora Port de Québec
Aug 12 – MASHANTUCKET, CT – The Premier Theater (at Foxwoods Resort Casino)
Aug 13 – JOHNSTOWN, PA – 1st Summit Arena
Aug 16 – SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Fair
Aug 17 – FAYETTEVILLE, AR – JJ’s Live
Aug 19 – CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater
Aug 20 – SAN ANTONIO, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
Aug 22 – MEMPHIS, TN – Orpheum Theatre
Aug 23 – CINCINNATI, OH – Andrew J Brady Music Center
Aug 25 – GRAND RAPIDS, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Aug 26 – MILWAUKEE, WI – The Eagles Ballroom
Aug 28 – FARGO, ND – Outdoors at Fargo Brewing
Aug 29 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Fillmore
Aug 31 – COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Harrah’s Stir Concert Cove