20 YEARS OF SATISFACTION & 15 YEARS OF PERSERVERANCE TOUR
FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS - 3/21/18
A good live show makes you forget about the outside world and everything going on while you are there. A great live show provides a release. You’ve left everything at the door to let everything out.
I missed Twitching Tounges opening set but made it just in time for The Acacia Strain to take the stage. The band had a tight 30 min set and sent songs out to local favorites After the Burial, Disembodied and Martyr A.D. This is the third time I’ve seen the band live and they are good at what they do live. If you're in to deathcore, you'll be in to The Acacia Strain.
Crowbar took the stage and the crowd was ready for the sludge masters to take to the stage. Kirk and company were in fine form picking songs from throughout their entire catalog for their 13 song, 45 minute set that went by in a breeze. It seemed like everyone’s favorite Crowbar song was represented in the set. “All I Had (I Gave)” showing up early in the set. “Walk with Knowledge Wisely” sounded even thicker and heavier than on the record. I also realized I need to dig a little more in to the Crowbar catalog. Which in the end, isn’t that what a great live band should make you wanna do?
Hatebreed came out to a hero’s welcome. Launching right into the first track on Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, “Empty Promises” and the pit raged. Instead of going straight into “Burn the Lies” and “Before Dishonor” as the tracklisting goes, those songs instead appeared later in the set. If my memory serves me correctly, Jamey Jasta called out “To the Threshold” instead. Which was a sigh of relief, giving Brett 8 minutes to take pictures down front instead of 6 minutes.
I can’t remember exactly how the set list went as Jamey calls out the songs just before they play them. Even having guitarist Wayne Lozinak having to mouth them back to the other members if they didn’t catch it. This could be tragic for most bands, with someone playing a different song while the rest of the band plays the song called out. This would make for a lot of fun for everyone involved and an inevitable YouTube clip. But Hatebreed are professionals, folks. I'd like to see any other band try this with successful results.
I do know that not all of Satisfaction was played like on the first leg of the tour. But I’m sure that probably ended up growing old for the band using the first 28 minutes of their set just playing Satisfaction in it’s entirety. Then throwing a good chunk of Perseverance in there in the second half while leaving room for the last couple songs to come from their other 5 albums (not counting “For the Lions”) to close out their set.
Instead the band mixed up the set, grabbing songs from throughout their entire catalog and even managing to go back to Under the Knife for one song to send out to local legends Disembodied.
Former guitarist Sean Martin, came up to the stage for the last 4 songs – three of which came from Perseverance (the album which Sean played on). I don’t remember exactly what the last song was but it was not “Destroy Everything.” It’s omission from the set list would become the biggest surprise of the night.
The pit kept going the entire time, which was one of most active pits I’ve seen at First Avenue in a long time. The set was roughly 20-22 songs long and it left the crowd wanting more. But there was no encore. When the band left the stage, the overhead music came on and the band was done.
Whether you worked out frustrations in the pit running in a circle or screamed it out at the top of your lungs, you left it all on the floor and felt a calming sense of relief at the end of the 60 min set. Hatebreed proved exactly why 20+ years in, they are still on the top of their game. These are 5 guys that care as much as they did about the music and the fans now, just as much as they did then. This show was no different from any other show I’ve seen from them - good for the mind, body and soul. Catch them the next time they roll thru town.
Hit the jump to see more of Brett's pictures from Hatebreed and Crowbar!
