For my third concert back since the pandemic, this was the best by a long shot. Skillet with Adelitas Way and Eva Under Fire played at the Rialto Theater on Sunday and truly put on a show.
Having never heard of Eva Under Fire, I went in with an open mind and I was wowed.
For starters, lead singer Eva Marie is a kickass woman with a crazy amount of energy and passion in her performance. She has a wicked voice and truly deserved to be on that stage.
The band overall had a great sound and played well together, but the energy level wasn’t at its peak until the end of their set.
They covered Journey’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) and it sold me. The whole crowd was singing along and completely engaged.
I got to have a quick word with Marie and, about being a female influencer in the rock world, she said, “It’s wonderful, there’s so much body positivity and women positivity...I love being back.”
Next up was Adelitas Way, whom I’ve only heard a couple songs from. Overall I really liked their music and performance. Their energy was there from the beginning and they work really well together. They are strong apart and even stronger together.
What surprised me the most was when the lead singer would step away and just the rest of the band would play. I was pleased with how well the rest of the band held on their own without the singer, considering that can’t be said for a handful of bands.
The guitar and drum solos were very entertaining and impressive. Especially the drum solo to me, being a drummer myself.
I also enjoyed the parts in some songs where the lead and backup harmonized. They have a beautiful sound together and it adds a little bit of spice in the choruses.
Unfortunately, there seemed to be technological issues and the lead vocals were on the softer side and the instrumentals were louder. Besides that, it was a great performance.
Having seen Skillet twice before and once in the same venue, I knew the performance I was awaiting was well worth the wait. However, and I don’t know if it’s all the pent up energy from being quarantined for over a year, this performance was better than the two I’d seen before.
The energy onstage was more than a 6 pack of Monster Energy drinks could deliver. When at a concert, I usually just bounce a little and sing along; but this show had me head banging and screaming like there was no tomorrow.
My favorite part about Skillet live is how personable they are with the audience. They make you feel like it’s just you and them in a room.
They told everyone that at a rock show, there’s no politics. No disagreements. No battles. No animosity. There’s just the shared beauty of rock and roll, and that really resonated with me.
They took the ongoing pandemic and sang Sick of It with a crazy amount of passion and purpose. I felt the aggression, frustration, sadness, joy, and other emotions from all the people in that theater during the song.
Of course, one of my favorite parts of the show was Jen Ledger’s drum solo. She started slow with a basic beat, and built it up until the bass drum in your chest felt like your heart exploding within. Then she finished with a smile on her face.
How you can tell these people really love what they do is each member had a smile on their face at least once in the show. Ledger smiled. Both Coopers smiled at each other. Morrison smiled with them. Even the cellist smiled.
My favorite song they performed had to be either Stars or Rebirthing. Stars was such a heartwarming, beautiful experience with all five members sitting together, acoustic guitars, and Jen and John singing together. Rebirthing was a powerful performance that had everyone singing, dancing, and screaming. I hadn’t heard that song in so long, and it just felt like home.
Skillet in general has so many beautiful aspects of the band. There’s the passion between lead singer John Cooper and bassist Korey Cooper (they are married), there’s the badassery that Jen Ledger delivers on the drums, and there’s the killer guitar skills Seth Morrison brings to the table over and over again.
Put them all together and you have a band that, in my opinion, is one of the most talented rock bands of this generation. Call me crazy, but I can honestly say that no one can bring the heat like this Christian rock band can.
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