Into the flood again

Same old trip it was back then

So I made a big mistake

Try to see it once my way

I just watched the second of three consecutive Wednesday night concerts in May 2013...Alice in Chains. Wow! Totally rocked! Totally awesome! I wasn't sure I would see a show this year that would rival Soundgarden, but Alice in Chains certainly made it difficult to choose a favorite. After Soundgarden, Stone Sour, and now Alice in Chains, every other concert this year is icing on the musical cake. And Summerfest isn't even here yet! So about the show...

Opening band was called Bloodnstuff. I figure with a name like Bloodnstuff - if you were to judge a band by its name - would be a heavier band, maybe even a little metal. Not to be.  There was no blood. Just some stuff. They were just two guys, a drummer and a guitarist/singer. All of their songs really sounded like one very long song. They didn't catch my interest.

Alice in Chains take the stage and immediately rip into Angry Chair. Much like Soundgarden, they got out there and played no frills, nonstop rock music. A lengthy nineteen song setlist consisting of a few from their latest album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - Hollow, Phantom Limb, Stone - , and many of their greatest hits - Your Decision, Down in a Hole, Man in a Box, Would?. Here's the setlist...

5/15/2013 at The Rave

Alice in Chains are only doing a handful of Midwest shows. Super excited that they came to Milwaukee. What an amazing show!

I know I've previously written about how I feel that the drummer is the heartbeat of a band and the drummer can make or break a band. I've also written about how I feel the lead singer is the voice, the face of a band, especially if that lead singer has an iconic voice. Layne Staley had an iconic voice that was a signature print to the sound of Alice in Chains. When he died in 2002, I know I felt that Alice in Chains would never return. When they returned, they surprised me. They found a singer in Will DuVall that had some of those same vocal characteristics. He's not Layne Staley, but Will DuVall has a very distinct sound in his vocals that really works with Alice in Chains. If this band comes to a city near you, you need to see them!

Here are some pictures from the show.

Rock on!!