(PCM) It was an epic way to start the 2014 concert season by catching Stone Sour, Pop Evil and Stolen Babies play to a completely sold-out crowd at TLA in Philadelphia, PA. This show was sold-out for good reason, as both Stone Sour and Pop Evil are two of the most hard-hitting and talented rock bands gracing the rock n’ roll landscape these days. Add in the artistic flair of Stolen Babies and you are provided with a monumental evening of pure unadulterated rock n’ roll.
LA-based artistic and experimental rockers Stolen Babies opened the show and provided those in attendance with quite a visual treat. It is not everyday that you witness vocalist Dominique Persi rocking out with an accordion, or anyone rocking out with an accordion for that matter, and the audience appeared to be quite mesmerized by the antics taking place on the stage.
Stolen Babies are still currently touring behind their album “Naught” and if you have a chance I strongly encourage you to get to the show early and check this band out. We had a chance to catch up with Stolen Babies Dominique Persi after their set (please forgive the Stone Sour encore playing the background). You can view the full interview below:
When Pop Evil blazed their way onto the stage, all eyes were hooked on vocalist Leigh Kakaty as the band launched into their hit single “Deal With The Devil”. Kakaty has an almost hypnotic presence on the stage and he along with the rest of the band made up of guitarist Nick Fueling, bassist Matt DiRito, guitarist Dave Grahs, and drummer Chachi Riot run enough raw adrenaline through the stage the shake-up the crowd at their core.
The boys in Pop Evil truly know how to commandeer the stage. This is not the type of band who comes out there and stands in one spot just playing the songs, these guys are running all over the stage and engaging with the crowd. Matt DiRito is an absolute beast with his bass, swinging it in all directions while head-banging his way all over the stage and drummer Chachi Riot is without a doubt one of the most energetic drummers I have ever had the chance to witness. There is no sitting idly behind the drum kit for this guy. He is standing up, jumping around, and banging on those drums as if his life depended on it….truly a sight to behold.
Pair up the band’s incredible instrumentation with Kakaty’s amazing voice and this band is just unstoppable. Pop Evil is currently touring behind their third album “Onyx” and are certainly more than geared up for whatever 2014 will bring their way. We had a chance to catch up with Pop Evil drummer Chachi Riot prior to the show, you can view the full interview below:
The moment finally arrived when Stone Sour hit the stage and the crowd went absolutely wild. The band opened up with the title track from their recently released two-disc concept album “The House Of Gold and Bones Pt’s 1 and 2″ and held the audience at full attention throughout their entire set. Stone Sour vocalist, Corey Taylor is one of the most captivating and engaging front-men in the business today. He has the voice of both an angel and a demon combined together to create the perfect package. Taylor is able to flawlessly channel raw aggression and heart-wrenching melodies crafting a performance style that is one hundred percent his own.
The band performed a solid set of both new material and fan favorites including a cover of the Judas Priest classic “Heading Out to the Highway” to close out the show. There were times with I believe that the crowd was actually singing along louder than Taylor during certain parts of the show. I certainly had a great time belting out my personal favorites such as “RU486″, “Inhale”, “30/30-150″, and “Absolute Zero” to name a few. Several times throughout the night Taylor looked completely humbled by the amount of love and adoration that was coming back at him from the crowd. Stone Sour have a way about them that make you fall in love with the band over and over again despite the amount of times you may or may not have seen them live.
Stone Sour provide a breath of fresh air to the musical landscape and certainly put on quite a memorable performance. Do yourself a favor and definitely check out this tour, as I promise it will not disappoint.
Stone Sour, Pop Evil And Stolen Babies Play To A Sold-Out Crowd In Philly also appeard on Unskinny Pop.