Milwaulkee Journal AB Concert Review
 

Freed from Creed, Bridge men rock
Band mates seem more comfortable in new ensemble
By NATHAN LICHTMAN
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Oct. 3, 2004
By the time Alter Bridge took the stage at the Rave Saturday night, it was clear that the group's former life as Creed was long forgotten.

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Creed's remnants - guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips - played tighter and stronger as Alter Bridge than they ever did in the earlier band.

From the opening notes of "One Day Remains," the melodically efficient title track from the group's debut album, Alter Bridge looked like a band that had just woken from a coma to realize it had won the lottery.

The real star Saturday night, though, was lead singer Myles Kennedy, who with a giant grin and Chris Cornell-like vocals proved he's ready for the big time.

After asking the crowd to make some noise, Kennedy, formerly with Mayfield Four, was overwhelmed by the loud response. "That just consoled all our inner childs," he joked.

Kennedy's vocals on the anthemic rock of "Burn It Down," "The End Is Here" and the set closer, "Open Your Eyes," echoed through the Rave like it was a 20,000-seat arena. Throughout the set, Kennedy was magnetic and much more entertaining than former Creed singer Scott Stapp.

Dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, Tremonti bounced between frenetic solos and arena-size power chords while Phillips hit the skins harder and faster than he has in the past.

Tracks like the somber "Broken Wings," and the larger-than-life rock of "Find the Real" resonated well with the large crowd, which ran the gamut of ages and backgrounds.

Tremonti also invited two of his heroes - ambidextrous guitarist Michael Angelo Batio and virtuoso Troy Stetina - to play for the crowd and later join the band for a rousing four-guitar cover of Deep Purple's "Highway Star." The peculiar move turned out to be a success and the crowd cheered both guest guitarists.

Judging by the smiles on their faces and roar of the crowd, the guys in Alter Bridge don't have to worry about reuniting Creed down the road.

Openers Crossfade, best known for a moderate hit with "Cold," sounded discombobulated and inconsistent. Bouncing between funky kegger rock and banal metal, the group couldn't lock onto a sound it could call its own. Earlier in the evening, Submersed opened the show to a warm reception with its gregarious stage show and mid-tempo rock.

Whoah! :smokin:

Thanks, Michael! And watch it with whipping those card things at the end of the show. I think you took some people out!

The show was so awesome! I love(d) Creed, but this show may have finally gotten me over them. AB is here to stay! I loved Stapp's voice in a unique way, but Myles has a great voice and is sooooooo much more likeable. The boys looked like they were having a blast.

It was such a great time and I thank y'all for it. Props to those Submersed boys. They rocked and I met them afterwards and got sigs and they were so nice.

But, dump Crossfade. They sucked. LOL

PS: The 4-Guitar romp almost made me piss my pants and Myles looked like he was about to do the same. He kinda looked like he was having a hard time keeping up with Michael, Troy, and Mark! But he is still an awesome guitarist. ROCK ON!

did anyone happen to tape angleo and or/stetina or perhaps highway star? ;)
btw thanks michael for posting this article, it certainly brings a smile to my face! :)

***starts bootleg chaint***

Wow, I don't know what to say!!! I can't believe how awesome they are!!

give me a b....give me an o...........bootlegs!!!:)

Right ON. I was thinking the same thing. I hope somebody taped it!

Thanks for posting the review, Michael!

If only they studio recorded "Highway Star" with all 4 guitarist! That would cut the cake for a cover song!!!

I heard there's a video for it!!! I think I'll pass out!!! LOL! :D

As I'm reading along, not realizing Michael started this post, I am agreeing with every point made. I was on the rail (if you could call it that) with some great Creed buds, or buds I met from Creed, and have now turned AB buds. Mark ROCKED! He was right in front of us playing his solo for OYE, and he was awesome!
I agree especially with the point of the guys "waking up." They seemed so happy out there, and I had made this very point to some friends before reading it. They all were smiling (minus a bit for Brian, he's pretty shy) and joking, and the best part was at the end...they all hugged each other before they left stage. It was so good to see, and you could tell they all were "together."
AB is not Creed minus Stapp. It's a totally different band, and this concert was what I needed to see in order to be a fan to a new band. Although I will always love SS's voice, Myles has so much personality...and his talent is unquestionable. You can tell he is in awe of the crowd. He smiles all the time, and it's just a great feeling being there. (Trust me, I was in Chicago...)
EVERYONE MUST FIND A WAY TO SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES! WELL WORTH IT.

BTW, Submersed kicked ass, but Crossfire, just what the author said. Before they came on, someone next to me said, "prepare to sleep." I looked around, and no one was even moving. One guy behind me got hyped up over a couple songs, but otherwise, everyone was zoned out, staying in the pit no doubt only to not give up their spots for AB.
And gross, gross, gross, the lead singer kept spiting everywhere on stage :eek:

Thanks for the article, Michael.

Hey, Michael, any update on when AB is coming to Idaho???


H-D :pimp: