Velvet Revolver / Alice in Chains Concert Review - 8/28/07

A few months ago I ended up making the roadtrip to Tinley Park, IL with a couple of friends to see what ended up being one of the best live shows I've ever seen. It was a double bill of Alice In Chains and Velvet Revolver, with local Chicago band Kill Hannah opening.

Kill Hannah came out and did a half hour set that, frankly, nobody really cared about. They got their best response when VR drummer Matt Sorum came out to play drums with them on a cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell". Overall their style didn't fit the bill whatsoever.

Next up was Alice In Chains, who put on a blistering hour long set that had the crowd on their feet the entire time. The set list was as follows:

1. Again
2. Grind
3. We Die Young
4. Them Bones
5. Dam That River
6. Rain When I Die
7. Nutshell
8. It Ain't Like That
9. Man in the Box
10. Would?
11. Rooster

The sound man must have actually been doing his job, because this was the first time that I've been to this particular venue and it didn't sound bad. It was abolutely perfect for both AIC and VR. My favorite performance of their set was probably "Nutshell", which is a song that has always been very personal to me. Everything sounded fantastic however. I have so much respect for "new" singer William DuVall. He has stepped in and filled the large shoes of legendary frontman Layne Stayley with class and dignity. He pulled of Staley's vocals flawlessly. DuVall and Cantrell's vocal harmonies sounded fantastic and if you closed your eyes and just listened, you'd swear Layne was right there on the stage with the band. I can't say enough good things about DuVall and the band in general. I'm excited that they have been working on new material in the studio, because AIC is flying high right now, and sound like a well oiled machine. I can't wait to hear what they come up with in the studio.

Next up was Velvet Revolver, and while they had a hard act to follow, they did so with boundless energy (especially from Weiland) and enthusiasm. The only time Weiland sat still was during their brief acoustic set. He was his usual mix of Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Perry Farrell, Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison all rolled into one, with a his own personality mixed in for good measure. The result was the most animated I've ever seen him on stage, covering eight different occasions. His vocals were also flawless and really showed just how much he's expanded his vocal range over the years. I've always said he was the greatest frontman in rock and roll and last night he proved why. The band itself sounded great as well, doing what they all do best. Here was the VR setlist:

1. Let It Roll
2. She Mine
3. Sucker Train Blues
4. Do It For The Kids
5. Superhuman
6. Big Machine
7. Pills, Demons & Etc.
8. Vasoline
9. The Last Fight
10. Interstate Love Song
11. Patience
12. Gravedancer
13. Just Sixteen
14. It's So Easy
15. Get Out The Door
16. Fall To Pieces
17. She Builds Quick Machines
18. Set Me Free
19. Mr. Brownstone
20. Sex Type Thing
22. Slither

I was very happy to hear "Pills, Demons & Etc." and "Gravedancer", which are my two favorite songs on the new album. I was kind of surprised that they did three covers of each for their former bands. This falls into the only point of contention I had with their set. I just didn't think the covers of Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline" or "Interstate Love Song" sounded all that good musically, especially the former, which is one of my favorite songs off all-time. Scott sang them perfectly, but musically they lacked that Deleo punch. The "Sex Type Thing" cover sounded great, however. The biggest response of the night was probably the cover of G'N'R's "Patience", which was excellent. There were points in the song where Scott belted out vocals that sounded eerily close to Axl Rose. The band closed with two encores, and lefy everything they had onstage.

Overall it was one of the best nights of live rock and roll that I've ever seen. I'm not one of those people who thinks that Alice In Chains should have never come back after the death of Stayley or that wished Velvet Revolver would just break up immediately so that Stone Temple Pilots can reunite. Don't get me wrong, I would give anything to have STP back, as they are my all-time favorite band. I just feel like it's bound to happen when Velvet Revolver has run its course. Until then, I will just sit back and enjoy the great music.