Those who grew up in the 1990’s can easily recall it as a time where some of the most diverse and eclectic music from all genres was created. It was the era of grunge and alternative rock. Alt-rock bands Live and Bush are on the road celebrating 25 years of their breakout albums Throwing Copper and Sixteen Stone. The tour also featuring opener Our Lady Peace, made a stop at the Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, NY last Friday night.
Up first was Canada’s Our Lady Peace. The fellow 90s rock band released their album Clumsy in 1997 and were catapulted into music history. Despite having a short set, Lead singer Raine Maida belted out “Superman’s Dead, “Somewhere Out There,” and one that always gets the crowd moving “Clumsy.” The seven song setlist barely scratched their massive catalog of hits, but the crowd ate it up.
Next up, York, Pennsylvania’s very own LIVE. If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing this band in concert, you know that it is not just a show but more of a spiritual musical experience. The stage went dark with the screens flickering the familiar images from Live’s Throwing Copper album. Slowly the band made their way onto the stage playing the opening notes of “The Dam at Otter Creek,” the only problem was lead singer Ed Kowalcyk was missing from the stage. All of sudden, there was a commotion in the center of the amphitheater, it’s Ed Kowalczyk walking right down the middle of the aisles, singing, hugging and high-fiving fans.
LIVE who is celebrating the 25th anniversary release of Throwing Copper played album in its entirety along with some surprises like a cover of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” and a very intense version of The Rolling Stone’s “Paint It Black.” The band played an incredible 14 song set ending with the emotionally powerful “Lightning Crashes.” They exited the stage after thanking the fans for all the years of support.
Headliner Bush had a less subtle approach to their set. From the chest rumbling bass intro, front man Gavin Rossdale and the band wasted no time charging the stage opening with the heavy riff laden track off their Sixteen Stone album “Machinehead.” It’s refreshing to see Gavin Rossdale put on such a high energy show. I don’t recall him or guitarist Chris Traynor or Bassist Corey Britz standing still for a moment. The band pounded out heavy hits “The Chemical Between Us,” “The Sound of Winter” and “Everything Zen.” I really respect that Gavin Rossdale really puts himself into his live shows, quite literally. During “Little Things” he sang the whole song while walking through the crowd. It was quite the treat, especially for the hordes of female fans who chased after him.
The band ended the evening with “Comedown” leaving the audience chanting for more. It was an incredible evening of alternative rock music and a sweet trip down memory lane for me personally.
Please enjoy some photo highlights from the evening. Thank you.
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