Hard rock and metal music is a universal sound that can be enjoyed by anyone. Many people write it off because they feel the vocalist sings with too much gruff and can’t be understood, or that there’s just too much aggression in the music. However, every genre has their gateway bands and musicians that have reached such acclaim that you can’t help but love the music. One man who I feel needs to be talked about in these circles is Myles Kennedy. The man’s voice sounds like the heavens opening and angels coming down to sing to you. He has used his voice to connect with millions of people in his band Alter Bridge, as well as with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. In between working with his two legendary bands, Myles still finds time to write and perform his own solo work. After the release of his third studio album The Art of Letting Go, Myles was ready to hit the road again with a stop at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
Opening the night was LA Natives known as Sons of Silver. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Peter Argyropoulos whose voice has the deep emotional grit that Bruce Springsteen sings with. You can’t help but connect with the lyrics he sings about. While guitarist Kevin Haaland fits his guitar solos in with ease, continuing the flow and melody of the song while still showing off his talents. Bassist Adam Kury and drummer Marc Slutsky were locked in keeping the back beat moving and grooving. The people in the audience couldn’t help but find themselves rocking out to the groove of each song. While keyboardist Brina Kablar adds the extra bit of flare to the sound of the band. Sons of Silver played a solid set of good old fashion rock n’ roll music with songs like “Read ‘Em Their Rights,” “Giving it Back,” “Tell me This,” “Running Out of Words,” “Who’s Gonna Stop Us,” and ending with “Hold Tight.” Sons of Silver were the perfect rock band to kick off the night.
Up next was country rock star Tim Montana. Kicking things off with “Get You Some” you could hear the heavy hard rock edge to his music. While his voice has grit and a bit of country twang to it. Tim Montana is a big advocate for the US Military. Even taking the time to give a small speech to honor our veterans. Tim Montana plays music that you can just crank while going for a drive. Roll down the windows, let the air flow through your hair, and lose yourself in the vibes of his music.
The whole crowd could be seen feeling this energy and rocking out to his songs like “Ain’t Coming Down,” “Die Today,” “Shut Me Out,” “Savage,” “Death Row,” a cover of Tupac’s “California Love” which he said he only covered due to a request by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, “Mostly Stoned,” and “Devil You Know.” Tim Montana has been getting himself out in front of crowds opening for bands like Staind, Seether, Bush, Jerry Cantrell, and many others. It can’t be much more time before Tim is hitting the road for his own national headlining tour.
As Myles Kennedy was getting ready to take the stage, the El Rey Theatre really started to pack in with fans. Myles has managed to build a diverse fan base with men and women of all ages filling the crowd. When he stepped foot in front of us for his opening song “The Art of Letting Go,” every single one of them erupted in cheers. Kennedy uses his four octave vocal range to hit heaven piercing high vocals that sing with the angels, to dropping his range low and really adding gravitas to the emotion of the song. Not only is Myles Kennedy one of this rock generation’s best singers, but he is also a master on his guitar.
Pulling double duty as the lead guitarist of his band at the same time. Kennedy writes some of the catchiest guitar hooks that ebb and flow with the rhythm of the music. Though you can’t stop the man from taking time to lose himself in a guitar solo. Myles Kennedy took the time to grace us with an acoustic performance of the Alter Bridge classic “All Ends Well.” The rest of his set consisted of his solo work spanning his three albums with songs like “Nothing More to Gain,” “Devil on the Wall,” “A Thousand Words,” “Mr. Downside,” “Tell It Like it Is,” “Year of the Tiger,” “Behind the Veil,” “Wake Me When It’s Over,” “Love Can Only Heal,” “Miss You When You’re Gone,” “Get Along,” “In Stride,” and ending with “Say What You Will.”
If you want hard hitting rock songs Myles Kennedy has you covered. If you want soulful ballads that pull on the heart strings Myles Kennedy has you covered. If you want a guitar technician that will play the shit out of his instrument Myles Kennedy has you covered. This man is one of the most universally talented men in music right now. And though he is well known in the rock and metal scene, his voice and talents deserve to be recognized by the more general audience. The first solo tour I saw for him was at the 500 capacity Troubadour, and we were packed in like sardines. Six years later he’s packing in the 750 cap El Rey. He should be able to headline multi-thousand cap venues, and if you haven’t listened to his music yet, please do yourself a favor and listen to it now.
GALLERY: Myles Kennedy with Sons of Silver and Tim Montana at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (February 16, 2025)
