Some say rock ‘n roll is dead—but Halestorm, the rockin’ metal band who took over the International on Wednesday night, couldn’t disagree more.
Accompanied by concert-openers The Dead Deads and New Medicine, Halestorm revived rock ‘n roll with its impressive screaming guitar solos and overall rock show stage presence, while also adding a bit of metal into the mix.
But the Grammy Award-winning band wouldn’t be complete without its hardcore front-woman, Lzzy Hale. Donning black knee-high boots, aviators, cherry red lipstick and a tough attitude to match, she serves as the conductor of this self-acclaimed “freak show.” Upon seeing and hearing the screeching rock ‘n roll banshee, Lzzy Hale is the obvious front runner for the band and the adored captain of this perfect storm.
To set the mode, she stepped up to the mic in a blue jean jacket, accompanied by her rock ‘n roll swagger, as the crowd roared in excitement. Serving as the perfect introduction, Lzzy Hale grasped the mic and screamed the opening line, “Oh! I miss the misery!” before the beat dropped.
Suddenly, the band continued with a string of metal-heavy Halestorm classics such as the breakup-nostalgia tune, “I Miss The Misery” and the classic, Gothic novel-based theme song, “Mz. Hyde” from their appropriately titled album, “The Strange Case of…”
However, Lzzy Hale’s enormous stage presence wasn’t the only one to note. Her younger brother, Arejay Hale on the drums, held a show of his own at the back of the stage. Between hurling numerous drumsticks into the audience, creating his own mosh pit while playing and performing multiple stick-flipping tricks, Halestorm’s front woman nailed it when she glanced in his direction and advised the crowd, “Don’t feed the monkey.”
However, the drumming maniac (who was masked in the beginning of the show) got his time to shine as he took on an elaborate drum solo. Just as the crowd thought the hyperactive Arejay Hale was losing steam, he introduced everyone to an enormous pair of drumsticks which he could barely grasp due to their size.
The Hale siblings were also accompanied by a talented guitar player with a strong stage presence. As Lzzy Hale rocked many guitar parts, Joe Hottinger floated around the stage whilst performing a string of intoxicating guitar parts.
Apart from a compelling stage presence, the metal-heavy band also threw in a few new songs, classics and even a stripped down Fleetwood Mac cover.
Halestorm’s lead singer managed to slightly reinvent “Gold Dust Woman” while still harnessing the solid vocals of Stevie Nicks. Accompanied by Hottinger on the acoustic guitar, the band’s Fleetwood Mac tribute prompted a slower-tempo, acoustic portion of the show.
Lzzy Hale revealed the Jekyll to her metal-crazed Hyde side—the band toned down its heavy metal sound to show a softer side of Halestorm. The front woman introduced the vulnerable ballad, “Hate It When You See Me Cry,” with a confession for a disclaimer.
“I was just kind of writing it for myself,” Lzzy Hale said. “I was on my bed at like four in the morning, and I don’t recommend this method of song writing, but I had actually just finished a bottle of wine by myself.”
After the acoustic set, the heavy metal rush flooded once again from the stage when the band later performed its cover of Skid Row’s “Slave to the Grind”—which was paired with hard-hitting songs such as “Don’t Know How to Stop,” “Love Bites” and some new songs such as “I Like it Heavy” and “Mayhem.” But the band did more than just entertain the audience with solid rock songs—the group also played its tribute to the overall experience of a rock show. The combination of the hypnotic rhythm and relatable fan-centered lyrics of “Rock Show” came together to create a roaring highlight for the audience.
Apart from squealing guitar solos, crazy drum rhythms and Lzzy Hale’s screeching vocal highs, Halestorm brought a set of tough-girl lyrics, sexual themes here and there and a few violent threats—all in the name of rock ‘n roll, of course.
But this sort of scene was exactly what concert-goers were hoping for. Between foot-stomping, head banging and a plethora of outstretched rock fists, Lzzy Hale’s freak show felt right at home with its ruby red lipstick bearing ring leader.
Adorning a rock fist of her own, to which she affectionately refers to as a “horn,” the shrieking rock ‘n roll queen is both a walking testament to the resurrection of rock ‘n roll and a true entertainer.
Not only did she wow the audience with a strong stage presence, but she proved her talent by only performing a few songs without a guitar of some sort in hand. From a double neck electric to her edgy custom Gibson, the lead singer simultaneously entertained with her ripping guitar riffs and movements.
However, the most refreshing aspect of Lzzy Hale’s performance was the depth to her voice—the screaming banshee can go from hitting unbelievable notes with a Janis Joplin growl to beautifully smoothing her voice in her less metal songs. Through combining Joplin yet Stevie Nicks-like vocals, Halestorm’s leader successfully creates a brilliant voice with the perfect amount of rawness and depth.
To end Halestorm’s reign of the warehouse venue, the band displayed Lzzy Hale’s rockin’ velvety vocals with the song “Here’s To Us,” which served as the perfect farewell tune while also ending the evening in a sort of celebratory manner.
Through solid stage presence, sound and a rock ‘n roller for a lead singer, the group proved that rock ‘n roll is very much alive and will live on through Halestorm as it continues to take the world by storm.
