Photos of Sevendust by Erica Vining
A shortage of live rock music in Southern Illinois had me stoked to catch Sevendust as they kicked off their ONE TOUR in Carterville at Walker’s Bluff Casino on Thursday. Fresh off the European leg of the tour, vocalist Lajon Witherspoon shed a few tears early in the set as he discussed the difficulty of touring and missing their friends and family at home. Despite their homesickness, Sevendust gave us exactly what the locals came to see: high energy hard rock.
Rock is a rare genre in this area where country music prevails, and I had some concerns about turnout for the set, but these were quickly dashed as concertgoers packed into the event room ahead of the 8 PM start time. Sevendust opened the night with “Home,” the title track of their sophomore album. “Home” was followed by fan favorite “Denial” which was peppered with fog and flashing lights, keeping the crowd engaged and on their feet. Just before the set started, an attendee lamented that this seemed like a venue where everyone sat in their seats the entire set. Well, Mr. Concert Goer, I’m here to tell you this set allowed for nothing of the sorts. The band packed the set with heavy riffs and crowd favorites, blending the old and new with songs from their upcoming album One (coming May 1 on Napalm Records) like “Unbreakable” mixed in with fan favorites including “Waffle” and “Black.” Witherspoon sounded as powerful as ever, effortlessly shifting between soulful melodies and aggressive vocals.
The convention-style venue with cloth chairs and carpeted floors melted into an intimate performance with fans singing along and growing louder by the minute, fueled by a rowdy and excited crowd. The hour-and-a-half set moved too fast, wrapping up with “Face to Face” from the band’s fourth album, Seasons. Drummer Morgan Rose was a stand out with vibrant red braided hair and an energy to rival Dave Grohl in his glory days of drumming for Nirvana. Carterville may be a small blip on the radar of Southern Illinois. but on Thursday it carried a big punch as Sevendust rolled through the cornfield laden landscape. The band continues on through Iowa before their openers—Atreyu and Fire From The Gods—join up in Indianapolis. Tickets for their upcoming dates on the ONE TOUR can be found here. | Erica Vining
