Unapologetic Rock n’ Roll! That’s what you get with Rival Sons, and Atlanta got it full force Wednesday night. A couple months into a massive tour promoting their soon-to-be-released DARKFIGHTER, the band’s reputation as a powerful live act is absolutely safe.
Singer Jay Buchanan has a loud, powerful voice, but like the best of rock singers, it’s expressive as hell and, better, the words shine through the barrage of decibels. Guitarist Scott Holiday can play power chords, as I suppose he must, but then he’ll throw in a blistering run or, like on the phenomenal “Feral Roots,” pull out a double neck guitar and lay down a 12-string jazzy groove.
And for pyrotechnics, the band’s fuel depot, Michael Miley, blasts the drums, at times standing to hit them harder, other times twirling a stick because he has just enough time, smiling all the time. Catch their tour, and you might just hear a solo…
The band hasn’t yielded to a power ballad like so many bands of the past, but it doesn’t mean they can’t slow it down or add lyrical depth. Buchanan took a few moments to share the story behind “Where I’ve Been,” a reminder that words matter when you take the time to dig into them. The set closer, “Face of Light” is one of those slow builders, a softer touch by their standard, but Holiday’s extended guitar solo is worth the price of admission.
With seven songs from their upcoming June release in the set, the crowd’s energy didn’t waver, with fist pumping and rock and roll salutes aplenty. With a four song encore for a band that puts this much energy into it their show, consider this tour one not to be missed.
A final note: There’s a lot of good light shows out there (and many more pedestrian ones), but the light operator (Adam, I asked) nailed this one, accenting the action perfectly while stomping his foot or pressing the buttons in rhythm for effects. The dude was into it.
More photos below.
Setlist:
Encore:
