I made plans in January to attend this show, which was my eighth Sevendust concert. I've been a fan of the band since 2002. They make great albums, their concerts are always affordable (usually about $20-30 per ticket) with 2-4 opening bands, so you get more bang for your buck, which is important in these economic times. I've also had the fortune to meet the guys in the band several times, and they are all very welcoming and grateful to all of their fans, whether it's a first-time attendee in the back of a concert venue or a longtime fan.
After working in the morning, I took a nice relaxed lunch at the Boulder Taphouse in St. Cloud before making my way down to Minneapolis. I arrived at my hotel room in time to explore downtown Minneapolis, making sure I knew where the concert venue was located since it was a place I'd never been to before.
After a hearty supper at the Loon Cafe a door down from Mill City, I was ready to rock! The crowd began to congregate downstairs in the Nether Bar before being herded upstairs to the concert hall. I racked my brain trying to figure out what this venue might have been named before, since it seemed to be a rather new establishment. Before I could figure that out though, the evening's first band, Candlelight Red hit the stage. They played seven melodic rock songs including the fan favorites "Cutter" and the title song "Demons" from their recent four-song EP.
The next band, Italian rocker Lacuna Coil, hit the stage with a double-vocal punch from lead singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro (Andrea is a male). The group did a great job of bringing up the crowd's energy level, running through nine songs including several from their recent disc Dark Adrenaline.
When Coal Chamber lead singer Dez Farara and his band started their set next, I found myself not knowing any of their songs...at least, not until their last song, anyway. They played a dozen thrash-metal songs that were foreign to me. Then they got to their hit "Sway (The Roof is on Fire)," a song that I think I last heard in Michael Moore's documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11." The mosh pit was extremely busy during their set, making me glad I decided to stand against the far railing and enjoy the action.
Finally, Sevendust had arrived, launching into their great single "Decay" from their new album Black Out the Sun. Complete with smoke cannons, the band kept the crowd's attention from note one. With guitarist/singer Clint Lowery not set to rejoin the band for a while following the birth of his second child, band friend Troy McLawhorn stepped in and played Clint's part admirably.
I was hoping to hear more songs from the new album, but the evening was heavy on some of their bigger hits like "Waffle," "Denial," "Rumblefish," and "Praise." Their set was full of songs that I've heard several times before live and they sounded just as good as ever. Before the band closed their set with "Black," the first song off of their 1997 self-titled debut, the crowd was eagerly chanting for more. Not disappointing their fans, the band returned for a two song encore, finishing with the traditional encore finale "Face to Face" just before the clock struck midnight in Minneapolis.
I'd splurged for the VIP pass months ago, and found myself milling around with other VIP guests before the band members made their way into the Nether bar with us. Although I didn't get any good pictures during the after-show festivities, I did enjoy getting to chat with the guys in the group, had them sign my Black Out the Sun CD booklet, and learned a few things about some of the guys' upcoming plans.
Before I knew it, the evening drew to a close at 2 a.m. I made it back to my hotel room safe and sound, although the energy and enthusiasm from the 41 songs I'd just heard live made sleep difficult to attain. I'm back home now a little weary, but glad I was able to attend my eighth great Sevendust concert since 2002. My only question now is...when will Sevendust show #9 be?
Sevendust set list
Mill City Nights
April 8, 2013
1. Decay
2. Praise
3. Denial
4. Alpha
5. Waffle
6. Strong Arm Broken
7. Rumblefish
8. Bitch
9. Pieces
10. Black
Encore:
1. Splinter
2. Face to Face
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