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.