Photo of Highly Suspect’s Johnny Stevens by Erica Vining
Massachusetts-based rock band Highly Suspect kicked off he Summertime Voodoo Tour in Memphis, TN on July 24th, with their second date the very next night at Delmar Hall in St. Louis. The tour celebrates the release of their newest album, As Above, So Below, which dropped less than a week before the tour’s first show. Three singles were released ahead of the debut, “Summertime Voodoo,” “Blue- Eyed Devil,” and “The 8th of October (To August 17th),” with each offering a unique sound exciting fans of their earlier work. Vocalist/guitarist Johnny Stevens promised fans that As Above, So Below would feel and sound most like their hit third studio album The Boy Who Died Wolf, returning to the band’s experimental bluesy/alt rock sound. Ardent Highly Suspect fans quickly nabbed up the limited tickets in anticipation of the release for the opportunity to be among the first to hear the album in its entirety live.
Stevens, who has in recent years been known by his moniker “Terrible Johnny,” seems to have adopted a new nickname for this release—John Chocolate. Mr. Chocolate announced a brief, intimate tour on social media ahead of their July 19th release of As Above, So Below, their fifth full-length album. Stevens/Chocolate proclaimed the eight-night tour as intentionally set in some of his favorite smaller venues, starting in the central US and moving toward the east coast. The Summertime Voodoo Tour was billed as a chance for fans to hear Highly Suspect play their latest record in its entirety, which the band had never done before.
Selling out quickly after tickets were released, Delmar Hall was packed with local alternative rock fans well before opening act Hounds took the stage. The three-piece band was an appropriate choice to start off a night of alternative rock with talented thunderous percussion and riffs complimented by the clean vocals of frontman/guitarist Jordan Sloan. Hounds performed several songs across their two studio albums: Hounds, which released in 2017, and Cattle in the Sky, debuting in 2021. Hounds is an indie/alternative rock group with blues undertones worth checking out.
To review Thursday night’s Highly Suspect show at Delmar Hall is to review the album itself in a sense. The band didn’t appear to blow a large budget on production with dizzying lights or video walls that are common with modern rock concerts. Stevens promised an intimate event and proved his determination to be true to his word as the band covered the entire album from beginning to end. Stevens expressed his gratitude to Highly Suspect’s longtime fans in attendance before quickly diving into the first track of the record, “Summertime Voodoo,” a song about a near-death experience on his motorcycle and how his outlook on life changed over one crazy weekend. The album continues to tell a chronological story of Stevens coming to terms with aging, body dysmorphia, failed relationships, and his reinvigorated will to live life to its fullest.
Highly Suspect released As Above, So Below with self-proclaimed hopes of redemption for their fourth studio album, Midnight Demon Club. The record received mixed reviews from fans and was later derided by Stevens himself describing the album as “trash” on social media, going on to say “I’m sorry it happened, get ready, had to go through some shit to be able to write some shit.” Stevens displays his expertise on the guitar on this album, with several harmonious bluesy/rock music riffs and solos as well as an entire instrumental track in the middle of the record, aptly named “The Reset.” Stevens isn’t the only standout in the band, with twin brothers Rich and Ryan Meyer on bass and drums, respectfully, adding to the impressive musicality of Highly Suspect. The duo adds to Steven’s guitar prowess with literal as well as figurative harmony. The threesome added Matt Kofos (guitar/synth) and Mark Schwartz (keys/guitar) in recent years and while it would be easy for a five- piece band to sound muddy, especially with at times up to three guitars and a bass playing simultaneously, the additions allowed instead for more diversity of sound without redundancy. The current roster of talent gives Highly Suspect the ability to achieve legendary status in rock music should they continue to put out music and perfect their sound. A return to their roots with this album will certainly propel them back into mainstream rock and onto satellite radio if the fans in attendance Thursday are any indication. The brief, intimate tour continues through August 2nd, with a larger venue tour announced this fall. | Colin Williams
