Tag: poppy

Ohio’s Live Rock Scene: May

As is the case every year in these parts, May is the big dog as far as major rock & roll happenings in Ohio. Columbus is home to the Sonic Temple Festival (formerly Rock on the Range) and always brings in some of the biggest names in rock and metal music. This year is certainly no exception. We are going to start with that festival as they are bringing in the biggest metal band in the world and we will end in Cleveland with the biggest hard rock band in the world.

Next week, May 8-11, will mark the return of the massive Sonic Temple Music and Art Festival to Columbus at Historic Crew Stadium. In recent years it was expanded to four days and now even offers four stages of music. There will be over 100 performances over the course of the four days. The event is 97% sold out and it is definitely not cheap. If you haven’t already secured tickets, they can be purchased here. They do offer a “pay later” option if that is up your alley. If the event does not sell out, you will likely be able to score good deals on the days of the shows. I’ve bought from the long-time scalpers that stand on 17th Avenue before and they are usually pretty negotiable. Highlighting the four days will of course be Metallica. They will headline on Friday and Sunday and will play two entirely different set lists. No songs will be repeated. They will be supported on Friday by the legendary Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie. On Sunday, when they close out the festival, they’ll be supported by Alice In Chains. All of these bands put on phenomenal live shows.

Thursday May 8th will kick off the event and will be headlined by nu-metal titans Korn. Other great live bands that I’d recommend checking out are Three Days Grace, Poppy, Filter, and Killswitch Engage. . Joining Metallica on Friday will also be a thrash metal trio of Overkill, Testament, and Exodus as well as classic metal heroes Armored Saint from Canada. Saturday will welcome back Linkin Park to headline for the first time since 2014 when they headlined the former Rock on the Range. They will be supported throughout the day by bands such as Sick Puppies, Hoobastank, Trivium, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, Bullet For My Valentine, and Crossfade. Lastly, joining Metallica and Alice in Chains on Sunday will be Chevelle, Swedish metal giants Arch Enemy, and the anticipated return of Power Trip.

Wednesday May 14th brings Nazareth to my favorite small venue; Columbus’ The King of Clubs. The 70’s rockers will be appearing there for the first time. Tickets are still available and range from $30 for general admission to $60 for floor seating. There are also tables available from $200-$300 depending on how many seats. I’ve never seen Nazareth, but think this should definitely be a show worth checking out.

May 19th brings two of the bigger hard rock acts of the 2000’s to Blossom Music Center up in Cuyahoga Falls. Six days later they will also visit Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center. The tour features Staind and Breaking Benjamin. I’ve seen both of these bands a number of times and they both sound great live. There are plenty of tickets available for both shows and those can be purchased right here.

On May 21st Billy Idol and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will come to Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center. I haven’t seen Billy Idol live, but Joan Jett was great at the very first Sonic Temple back in 2019. There are plenty of tickets available in all sections of the large venue. They range in price from $22-$270 depending on location and can be purchased here.

May 23rd will bring another classic rock veteran to the Buckeye State. Pat Benatar will visit The Ohio State University’s Mershon Auditorium. Tickets are pricey and range from $65-$270. They can be bought here. I saw her open for Journey once and her show was fine. The tour will make stops in Sylvania (Toledo-ish) the next night and down on the river in Marietta on the 27th.

There is only one active band right now that could top the Metallica visit next week. Short of Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin reuniting, that band is AC/DC. It’s been a long time since the boys from Down Under have played in Ohio and it very well could be the last time that they do. They will be playing in Cleveland for the final night of their tour on May 28th at Huntington Bank Field; home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. The show is nearly sold out and the few remaining seats range in price from $221-$360. If you can swing it, buy your tickets here, and go see one of the greatest rock acts of all time for possibly the final time. I’ve been fortunate enough to see AC/DC twice and can’t recommend it enough!

That’s all for May! June has some good stuff coming up too, but May is definitely the time to go see some live music!

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Ohio’s upcoming concerts: March

March is nearing its end and spring, at least by the calendar, is here. While the days may be few, there are still a handful of rock concerts coming to the Buckeye State before April arrives that are worth checking out!

This Saturday night, at my favorite small venue, is Brother Cane. They will be making a stop at The King of Clubs. These guys released three albums in the 1990’s and are led by their vocalist Damon Johnson. You may also recognize him as one of the three guitarists in the current Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Tickets can be purchased here. I’ve not seen this band live, but I’ve yet to be disappointed by a show at The King of Clubs.

Wednesday night, Poppy will visit Cleveland’s House of Blues on her They’re All Around Us tour. The pop-metal-internet sensation is fresh off of a performance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show in support of her album that shares the tour’s namesake. Tickets can be purchased here, and range from $39.50-$69.50. I’ve seen her once and found her show to be very entertaining and I enjoyed it. The House of Blues is also a cool, historic venue to see a concert in.

March 29th, the last Saturday of the month, brings two big time bands from the “nu-metal” era for a pair of arena shows.

In the capital city of Columbus, Deftones will be performing at Nationwide Arena. They’ve never been my thing and I haven’t been impressed by their live shows in the past. However, their recent career resurgence has them playing at one of the larger venues in the state, so I must acknowledge their relevance. The Mars Volta will be opening the concert and tickets can be purchased here. It does appear that the show is sold out, so you’ll unfortunately need to be prepared to pay re-sale prices.

The other arena show going on that night will take place in the Queen City of Cincinnati. Coming to Heritage Bank Center is the band Disturbed. Tickets are available from $29 to $182 and can be purchased here. Daughtry and Nothing More are the opening acts for this show. I’ve seen Disturbed live several times and have always enjoyed them. The Chicago metal act has been active since 1994 and have been touring pretty relentlessly for the past ten years or so. I’d vouch for this one, of the remaining March concerts coming to Ohio, as the best bang for your buck. If these aren’t your jam, don’t fret, Ohio is welcoming a jam packed April and it is sure to have a little something for everyone!

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Avenged Sevenfold and Poppy burn it down in Columbus

Avenged Sevenfold made their second visit to Ohio’s capital city last night in support of their latest offering; 2023’s Life Is But A Dream…, a project that was five years in the making. They made their initial Columbus stop last May as the Friday night headliner at the Sonic Temple Festival. Admittedly, I was concerned after watching them last year at a festival that has become like a second home for them. Perhaps, it was just the long layoff after the pandemic that had made them seem somewhat rusty. Whatever rust they may have had last May has surely been shaken off by now. Last night at Nationwide Arena the band were in top form. Their proper headlining, fifteen song set saw them focus on their latest record but also dust off some of their more obscure back catalog.

The opener for this tour is alt-pop-metal outfit Poppy. Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with her or her band prior to last night and I didn’t have high expectations. I’m glad that I went into it with an open mind, however. I’m sure that I am not the target demographic for her music and will admit that it was certainly not in my wheelhouse of something that I’d normally listen to. With all of that said, there was something about the performance that drew me in. I can’t explain it. There were elements of techno, metal, and pop that fused into an oddly enjoyable blend of music. All I can say is I had never heard or seen anything quite like it before last night. I would explain it as if you mixed Rob Zombie with In This Moment and K-Pop. I’m generally not one that would be described as a very artistic person, but her performance was certainly art. I can and do appreciate that. While I might not understand it, I was entertained and drawn into it, and in retrospect there were things about her performance that fits with the experimentation and progressive path that A7X has been on since Hail To The King was released.

Poppy Set List Columbus, OH 3/26/2024

  • 1. Bloodmoney
  • 2. Church Outfit
  • 3. Bite Your Teeth
  • 4. I Disagree
  • 5. X
  • 6. Hard
  • 7. Sit/Stay
  • 8. V.A.N. (Bad Omens cover)
  • 9. Fill The Crown
  • 10. Anything Like Me
  • 11. Scary Mask
  • 12. Concrete

Shortly after 9 p.m. the lights dimmed and Kvinsky’s Nightcall played over the speakers as the intro before Avenged Sevenfold took the stage to kick off the night with a pair of songs from the new album. It’s no secret that over the course of the past two albums the band has been experimenting with new sounds. Like bands before them (Rush, Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc.) they’ve been pushing the boundaries into new territory. Avenged Sevenfold no longer fits into a cookie cutter box of a proper metalcore band. They’ve grown. They’ve evolved. That’s okay, too. How boring would it be, for them, to continuously make the same record over and over again? Do I have a fondness for their earlier work? Absolutely. I do enjoy seeing a band grow, though, and both The Stage and Life Is But A Dream… have grown on me with each listen.

The new tracks held up well in the live setting and of course the crowd went nuts for the songs from the “classic” era of this band. For a band that I worried about potentially being lost less than a year ago; those fears have been put to rest after seeing them last night. M. Shadows in particular seemed to be having fun again and his vocals were stronger than they’ve been in a long time. With eight studio albums now under their belt, during a career spanning twenty five years, there is always going to be a gripe with any set list that they choose to perform. Of course I want to hear “Beast and the Harlot“, but I’ll gladly trade that for a band that is still challenging themselves to make new music. That means the fire still burns within them. If that fire still burns, then you’ve got a band that is going to continue to create. Bands that create, want to share their art and perform it live. Give me that. Bands that become bored, don’t last. I need live music more than I need to hear a particular song. I’m thankful that Avenged Sevenfold is still driven to create and bring us their live show. Inspiration breeds motivation, and has led this band back to being on top of their game. They were on top of their game last night.

Avenged Sevenfold Set List Columbus, Ohio 3/26/2024

  • 1. Game Over (2023)
  • 2. Mattel (2023)
  • 3. Afterlife (2007)
  • 4. Hail To The King (2013)
  • 5. We Love You (2023)
  • 6. Shepherd Of Fire (2013)
  • 7. The Stage (2016)
  • 8. Roman Sky (2016)
  • 9. Blinded In Chains (2005)
  • 10. Bat Country (2005)
  • 11. Nobody (2023)
  • 12. Nightmare (2010)
  • 13. Unholy Confessions (2003)
  • 14. Save Me (2010)
  • 15. Cosmic (2023)
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