Only a handful of shows are worthy of 4+ hours of driving, but the sold out opening night of a tour headlining Papa Roach and Seether will definitely do it!
Before the show, I had the opportunity to sit in on an interview with Papa Roach. I learned that each headliner got to choose one opening band for their winter tour and Papa Roach had chosen to bring Islander, one of the many awesome bands we saw on Rockstar Mayhem last year. Islander hit the stage at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach at 6:30, and launched off the show with a surge of energy. Mikey Carvajal (vocals) ran around the stage body banging (for lack of better term) and wildly whipping his microphone cord around. It was pretty apparent that a large amount of the crowd followed the SiriusXM Octane radio station, as they sang along to Islander’s single and closing song, “Coconut Dracula”.
Kyng was Seether’s pick, and they were up next. They look like just a simple three piece band, but they pack an incredible classic rock punch. Like Islander, Kyng also has an Octane radio single “Electric Halo” that they played, but the highlight of their set had to be a cover of Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”. I’d seen Kyng three times prior to this show, but the House of Blues easily had the best response. It was great hearing how loud the crowd got while singing along.
Having seen Seether upwards of five times over the years, I’d come to expect the same thing from them. Shaun Morgan has always had an incredible set of vocal chords on him and absolutely no issue displaying the range of his voice, while Dale Stewart (bass) adds some energy to the stage. Recently, they’ve been touring with Bryan Wickmann, an extra/new guitarist, and he seems to be the key that unlocks the next level of stage presence for Seether. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard them sound so alive, and I was pleasantly blown away.
Considering they’ve been around since 1999 (though under the name ‘Saron Gas’ in the beginning), an hour was only enough time to scratch the surface of hits Seether has had over the years. Though “Broken,” “Country Song,” and “Fake It” were a handful of obvious favorites, I was most excited to hear a slew of new songs from their 2014 album release Isolate And Medicate. Hearing “Same Damn Life” stole the thunder of their set, as Shaun insanely impressed me nailing the high pitched portions of the song in a perfect contrast to his typical rough and lower tone.
Seether is a hard act for most modern rock bands to follow, but with Papa Roach’s eighth studio album “F.E.A.R. (Face Everything And Rise)” on the verge of it’s January 27th drop date and a 22 year long career filled with innumerable hit singles, there’s no arguing why they were the headliner. The first time I saw them was years ago in 2004 at a tiny local venue as a star crossed fan pressed up against the front barricade singing along with a rockfist in the air, and even though I’ve seen them a number of times since, I still get amped up for any Papa Roach show.
They kicked off their set with the title track of F.E.A.R. before delving into all the fan favorites, including: “Getting Away With Murder,” “Scars,” and “Kick In The Teeth.” Jerry Horton (guitar) and Tobin Esperance (bass) were energized and headbanging in synch while Jacoby sprinted from one side of the stage to the other amidst a dazzling display of lights. Later in the set, we were treated to the live debut of “Broken As Me,” another new song we have to look forward to from F.E.A.R. Inevitably, the unforgettable “Last Resort” was saved for last, and I was hit by a wave of nostalgia as I found myself singing along as if it was 12 years ago. Needless to say, they are just as awesome now as they were way back then.
Papa Roach will continue touring the US until early February. They are scheduled to play on this year’s Soundwave Festival in Australia, then will set out to conquer the UK through March before we see them again on some of the World’s Loudest Month dates.
Setlist
• FEAR
• Still Swinging
• Murder
• Angels and Insects
• Where Do The Angels Go
• Broken Home
• Forever
• Scars
• Lifeline
• Infest
• Broken As Me
• Tight Rope
• Kick in The Teeth
• Burn
• Last Resort
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