Concert Review - AC/DC at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN 1/31/09

So you say you like rock and roll? Didn't make it to Nashville tonight? Big mistake. No sense beating around the bush, this was an awesome show on so many levels! I've been to at least 5 or 6 shows now at The Sommet Center (I won't mention the band names to protect the guilty) and this was by leaps and bounds the best I've seen (and heard) here. And that was a very good thing, as the anticipation for this show was tremendously high, as evidenced by the high prices for after-market tickets on the internet and the unusually high amount of fans outside pre-show looking for a ticket, any ticket. There were few to be found. There was no recession tonight in Music City.

Where do I begin? Let's start with the stage. Expansive is a great word for it, and that's exactly what lead guitarist Angus Young needs to work. The man was all over the place; up the catwalk, behind the drummer on a platform, on his knees, writhing around on his back on the hydraulic lift, and running to and fro. He had worked up a full sweat by the end of the first song in his trademark schoolboy outfit, complete with the cap, tie, and shorts. I particularly liked the row of glass panels that ran sideways across most of the front of the stage. There was a great effect where Angus ran/duck-walked across the stage and the screens showed it all from underneath; there were cameras under those panels tracking his every move. Nice touch.

Then there were the props. The "Rock and Roll Train" (with accompanying film during the opening song), the giant bell for "Hell's Bells" (with Brian pulling the rope and fire burning on the screen behind), the humongous inflatable "Whole Lotta Rosie" doll, and the six cannons that went off at all the appropriate times during "For Those About to Rock" (oddly the final encore). All this was accompanied with ample pyrotechnics, strobe lights, and film clips past, present, real, and animated.

In addition to the songs already mentioned, the set list was robust, although I wasn't impressed with the second song, "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be". But that was the weakest link. They played 5 songs from their latest album, "Black Ice", but not a problem because the songs are good. Besides "Rock and Roll Train" I also really enjoyed "Big Jack" and "Anything Goes". Maybe they're not quite as good as some of the classics, but good nonetheless. The classics, which everyone came to hear, included "Back in Black", "Dirty Deeds", "Thunderstruck", "Shoot to Thrill" (which got me up on my feet, where I stayed for the rest of the show), "You Shook Me All Night Long" (which I was sure would be in the encore but wasn't), "TNT", and "Let There Be Rock". One surprise for me was "The Jack", in that I was never really impressed with the song until they did it tonight; I loved the way it came off, and lead singer Brian Johnson seemed to really be enjoying doing it. Of course, Angus had to do his strip down, but these days he has given up the full moon in favor of displaying his AC/DC underpants. He remained shirtless the rest of the show, which, quite frankly, is nothing to look at. What confidence! The encore consisted of "Highway to Hell" and "For Those About to Rock".

So how were the performances? I think it's already clear that Angus Young was out-of-his-mind fantastic. Brian Johnson was great too. I don't know how anyone can sing like that night after night without rupturing their throat. The rest of the guys, including brother Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, were exactly that, providing the solid rhythms behind Angus and Brian. Overall, no surprises performance-wise, and with AC/DC that's a good thing. You want it straight up and that's what you get.

Some other levels that just blew away every other band I've seen in this place were the PA system (the vocals were crystal clear), the wall of Marshall amps all across the stage (you could hear every note), the lights, and the visuals. And they didn't sell obstructed view seats behind the stage. The tickets were expensive, but the $20 to $30 more than the average price for an arena show was well worth it. I give them an "A" for value.

This was the first time I've seen AC/DC live, and I'm glad I did. They're the real deal, and they work hard up there. I would tell you to go see them somewhere else but I believe this was the last show of the tour. It's been around eight years since they last toured; let's hope they do it again much sooner than that.