Alter Bridge made their long-awaited return to Central New York on Friday, February 10, playing to a near-capacity crowd at Del Lago Casino in Waterloo. The band is touring in support of its 2022 release, Pawns & Kings, and brought along Mammoth WVH in support.
Formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida, Alter Bridge has released seven studio albums as well as several live albums. The band consists of Myles Kennedy (vocals, guitar), Mark Tremonti (guitar, vocals), Brian Marshall (bass guitar), and Scott Phillips (drums).
The evening kicked off promptly at 8 o’clock with Mammoth WVH playing to an already full house. The band, fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen (son of Eddie Van Halen), tore through a set of classic rock tracks off their 2021 self-titled release. Wolfgang delighted the crowd with his pristine vocals and his indisputable guitar talent, tearing through several guitar solos reminiscent of his father. After a forty-minute set, the band left the stage triumphantly, to a sea of metal horns from the crowd.
Excitement in the venue quickly became palpable as the Alter Bridge backdrop rose from behind the stage. Shortly after the band entered and launched into “Silver Tongue.” With a howl from Myles Kennedy, the set was underway. The band tore through a mixture of tracks from throughout their nineteen years together. Kennedy’s vocals, powerful enough to fill a stadium, soared through the venue.
After a short acoustic set which saw Kennedy play a solo rendition of “Watch Over You,” followed by a Kennedy and Tremonti duet of “In Loving Memory,” the band returned to the stage. With their return, the opening notes of “Blackbird” by The Beatles were strummed. The crowd rose in anticipation as the band segued into their song of the same name. Perhaps the pinnacle of the Alter Bridge catalog, “Blackbird” is a hauntingly beautiful track about the loss of a close friend. The slow-building track soon erupted into another memorable solo from Tremonti.
Like all great things, this evening had to come to a close. Alter Bridge ended the night where they began nineteen years ago: with their first single, “Open Your Eyes.” The crowd joined, erupting into a full-fledged singalong before the band was through.
The post In Focus: Alter Bridge Rock Del Lago in Waterloo appeared first on NYS Music.
