Last Friday one of my favorite bands, Sevendust, came roaring into New York City celebrating the 21st anniversary of their incredible album Seasons. That feels wild to say, 21 years of a record I remember listening to over and over, and it makes me feel old, but here we are. Luckily, I was able to be there to capture all that rock energy.
Opening the show was Michigan based band Horizon Theory. I had never heard them before, but they instantly felt familiar to me. A mix of straight up hard rock with soaring melodies and a bit of nu-metal thrown into the mix. The band wasted no time on stage getting the crowd whipped into a frenzy. They played a quick 6 song set and they kept the energy up throughout. Even though I had never personally seen them play before, it was clear that they had more than a few fans in the audience, singing along to every word.
Next up was LA based Return To Dust. They were also new to me, but it is hard to not pay attention to the band while they’re on stage. Their music could be called modern grunge. I am not sure if that is a thing already, but if not, you heard it here first. This is Alice In Chains meets Soundgarden meets Deftones — but with their own spin. The band is fronted by 2 singers: Matty Bielawski and Graham Stanush who trade both vocals and the spotlight easily. The times when they sang together (Matty higher and Graham a lower register), they really sounded fantastic together. The mix of soaring vocals and sludgy bass lines really did make me think a lot of Alice In Chains while they played — but Return To Dust are certainly not trying to be a clone. They manage to make it seem like they wear their influences proudly, while also letting everyone know that they are talented and just getting started.
The third band on this stacked show was the band 10 Years. 10 Years have been playing since 1999 — almost as long as Sevendust. I have seen them a bunch of times over the years, but it has been a long time for me. I was super excited to see they were on the bill, and 10 albums and 25 years in they did not disappoint. The band is from Knoxville, TN and it was super obvious that NYC knew them and loved them. They opened with “Shoot It Out” which starts a little slowly but explodes by the chorus. Circle pits opened up and no-one stopped moving for their whole set. 10 Years always had a great mix of soaring vocals and frantic energy, and they had that on full display. Singer Jesse Hasek spent a lot of their set on the riser firmly front and center, conducting the crowd from side to side, front to back. Jesse talked a bit in between songs about their days playing in NYC, but mostly they just ripped through their set. They ended with their biggest song “Wasteland” which every single person knew the words to. For me personally it was great seeing them command the stage again. I never felt like they really got their due.
There was about 20 minutes for changeover, with the crowd milling about, but finally around 9:40 the lights went dim and it was time for Sevendust. Before they started though, the Carpenters song, “We’ve Only Just Begun” played over the speakers. As the song was ending drummer Morgan Rose walked out to his kit and the crowd roared. Then one by one the members of Sevendust took the stage. This was an anniversary tour for the album Seasons so I don’t think the set list was a surprise to anyone. They opened as the album did with the hard hitting “Disease” and that was it. The crowd couldn’t stop moving for the rest of the night.
I always loved Seasons and I still do. It’s a great mix of everything Sevendust does so well. Hard hitting songs that make you want to drive your car through a wall, but then they break out “Skeleton Song” and it’s just so damn beautiful. 30 Years as a band they are as tight as any band could be. It is so clear watching them play live that they love this shit. Still. The moved through the record with ease, smiling and laughing with each other and us. Singer Lajon Witherspoon spoke at one point about how their guitar player Clint Lowery was out for health reasons and their manager Tim, was filling in. He did a fantastic job. John Connolly and Vince Hornsby round out the band. At one point LJ teared up talking about how earlier someone had congratulated them. He initially thought “Connolly was running another marathon” but the person was congratulating them for 21 years of this record. Sevendust is from Atlanta, but he said they always feel like home in NYC. They played the whole record front to back and ended with 2 of their earliest and heaviest songs, “Rumble Fish” and “Bitch.”
I have been seeing Sevendust play since I was 18 years old. Over the years I have seen them play more than any other band. LJ and I have met and spoken many times, and when he saw me half way through the first song his face lit up with a smile. He came to the edge of the stage, reached down and took my hand in both of his and just nodded, happy to see me. That is just the type of band they are. After 3 songs as we were leaving the pit, LJ told the audience to give us, the photographers, a round of applause “for making them look so good.” I have photographed countless shows and I have never had that happen before, ever. Over the years I have spoken many times about how I never understood why they aren’t one of the biggest bands in the world. Don’t get me wrong, making it in this business and still selling out shows 30 years in is remarkable, but they never blew up like I thought they should. We should be talking about them like we do Metallica, some of the best to ever do it.
If you are reading this you probably know and love Sevendust already. But if somehow they just slipped under your radar, go listen to them now. Seasons is a great record to start with. I think they are so special. LJ has such a soulful vocal, backed by Morgan Rose screaming and thrashing the drums. They’re heavy a lot of the time, but never so heavy that they forget the groove. The groove will have you bobbing your head while you sing along. And damn, if somehow you’ve missed them the countless times they have played your town, there’s no excuse for that. Grab your girl or your dude or your friend and go see them play. You will not be disappointed.
GALLERY: Sevendust, Return To Dust, 10 Years and Horizon Theory
at Palladium Times Square in NYC (September 19, 2024)
