Alter Bridge
South Side Ballroom
Dallas, Texas
Photos and article by Daniel Martinez
Coming off the heels of the seventh studio album, Pawns & Kings, American rock band Alter Bridge stormed the Lone Star state, more specifically the second Texas date from the tour. Traveling i45 North from Houston, Myles Kennedy and company crashed into the South Side Ballroom in Dallas, Texas for an evening of heavy riffs and hard rock.
The band from Orlando took over the stage to a thunderous roar from the thousands of Texans that gathered inside the ballroom. Kicking off the 17 song setlist with Silver Tongue, the second single from Pawns & Kings. A song that was well received. The crowd was still cheering as Mark Tremonti went into the opening guitar riff of Addicted to Pain, as song released in the fourth album, Fortress. A song so punchy, yet dark with a guitar solo that only Tremonti knows how to do. As the lights dimmed, Myles teased the opening chords of Before Tomorrow Comes, fans knew it was coming. The fans helped Kennedy with the song as the whole venue echoed with the chorus. Holiday was another single from Pawns & Kings that was performed immediately following Before Tomorrow Comes, same as Silver Tongue it received a tremendous ovation. Myles Kennedy put his PRS guitar on the side for the next song as the band went into a song from One Day Remains, the debut album. Shed My Skin, a song loved by every member of the AB family. A song that was sung by the thousands in attendance.
After the fifth song, Myles Kennedy stopped to welcome everyone to the sixth stop on the second leg of the Pawns & Kings North American tour. Myles remembered that the last time they were in Dallas was some time ago and not many people. He stated he was glad to see the infinite sea of heads. He also thanked and asked everyone to make noise for the opening band, Pistols at Dawn. A band that caught everyone off guard early in the evening. He also said they were honored to have Mammoth WHV. A band that has been crushing it since the start of the tour.
Back to the regularly scheduled program. Alter Bridge performed This is War, another song from the latest release. Myles took a break as Mark Tremonti was featured on the vocals for Burn It Down, a song that everyone sang along with him. There was small change as the band decided to serenade everyone in attendance. Kennedy pulled out an acoustic Taylor guitar as he performed the beloved Watch Over You, a staple in most Alter Bridge concerts. The rowdy crowd was silent during this song, admiring the mesmerizing vocals from Myles Kennedy. During the last chorus, Myles asked everyone to sing along cause he wanted to hear everyone. The Texans did not disappoint. As they continued the mellow part of the show, Mark Tremonti joined. Introducing the next song, In Loving Memory. A song that Mark wrote for his mother. Another staple Alter Bridge song that everyone loves.
Other songs performed in the evening were Blackbird and Come to Life, both from the second studio release, Blackbird. Released in 2007 and was positively received by music critics, even going as far as getting certified Gold. Pawns & Kings was the last song performed from the current release. Myles introduced Scott Phillips as he started hitting every drum piece. Then introducing Brian Marshall on bass guitar, lastly introducing Tremonti as he played the riff to one, if not the most popular Alter Bridge song, Metalingus. A song that peaked exposure in the late 2000s as it was heavily featured in WWE as part of wrestler’s Edge entrance theme song, and it still being featured today, alongside The Other Side from the album The Last Hero. During the middle of the song Myles stopped to thank everyone for coming out. He also thanked Pistols at Dawn, and Mammoth WVH. In unison the near sell out crowd at the South Side Ballroom echoed the last chorus. The crowd came unglued, cheering as the band walked off the stage. As the lights dimmed, Myles and company came back to the stage to perform Slip to the Void and Rise Today. The latter being a perfect ending to an Alter Bridge concert as it gets, sending everyone remembering the harmonizing, emotional vocals and expressive lyrics of Myles Kennedy.
In 2004 a band from Florida took the rock world by storm. Seven Album releases, and countless of accolades later, Alter Bridge is still taking the world by storm. The chemistry between Myles, Mark, Brian, and Scott is unmatched, you can hear in the music and see it when they hit the stage.
Setlist
Silver Tongue
Addicted to Pain
Before Tomorrow Comes
Holiday
Shed My Skin
This is War
Burn It Down
Cry of Achilles
Watch Over You
In Loving Memory
Blackbird
Come to Life
Pawns & Kings
Isolation
Metalingus
Slip to the Void
Rise Today
