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Written by ALANA GRELYAK / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Monday, 29 May 2006 |
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And so it has gone for Alice In Chains. A band that reached its pinnacle of success during the grunge rock era of the 1990's, Alice In Chains suffered the unfortunate loss of its founder and lead singer Layne Staley to an overdose in 2002. The remaining members decided to disband in honor of Staley's memory and, only recently, have made the decision to put together a reunion tour, with lead vocals covered by Comes With The Fall front man, William Duvall.
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DragonForce
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 Entertainment
Art
Metro
Chicago, Ill.
May 21, 2006
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Upon first inspection, Duvall looks like the odd man out, his Hendrix-esque looks is in opposition to his long-haired band mates' toned down grunge metal look. But when he opens his mouth, the voice that comes out fit right in, blending well with the sound that made Alice In Chains famous. They opened the show with the lesser known tune “Sludge Factory,” and the performance steadily got better from there, ending with an encore that included hits “Would?” and “Man In The Box.”
The show had a few glitches here and there. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell had several problems with his ear piece, fidgeting with it between almost every song. At one point, Cantrell signaled for the band to stop entirely during the song “Rain When I Die” when he realized that his guitar was rigged improperly. And shortly thereafter, a fan jumped over the railing and onto the stage, wiggling his rock and roll fingers before being roughly escorted out of the theater by security.
Despite the pitfalls that the band encountered, Alice In Chains didn't miss a step in providing an energetic performance that kept the sold-out audience entertained. Duvall leaned into the crowd many times, knuckle punching and high-fiving the fans who were enthusiastically singing along, some even showing off their Alice In Chains related body artwork.
There weren't any fancy tricks, light shows, or stage stunts. There were only four guys, their instruments, and a crowd that was more than thrilled to hear the band's old tunes. One can only wonder where the band would be today if Staley had gotten cleaned. As is, with a singer that is perhaps only temporary and no new albums to speak of, Alice In Chains' future remains uncertain. Judging from the audience turnout at this show though, it seems likely that if they wanted to continue where they left off, plenty of fans will be there to help them out. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
