Hard rock fans from all over Minnesota gathered at The Armory in Minneapolis on October 20th to see a few of their favorite bands perform. This was the final show of the unnamed tour, co-headlined by Seether and Skillet. Seether released their 9th album, “The Surface Seems So Far,” on September 20th, and Skillet is about to release their twelfth album, “Revolution,” on November 1st.
As much as I love Seether and Skillet, I was equally excited to see the two opening acts. Earlier this year, I was interviewing a popular musician, and they recommended I check out an artist named Royale Lynn. I did and loved her music. Shortly after, I saw that she was opening for this tour! The Canadian artist moved to Nashville in 2015 to start her career in country music. Over the years, her music has evolved into what she describes as “punktry.” She does an excellent job blending country and hard rock. Her set included a cover of Flyleaf’s hit, “All Around Me,” as well as several of Royale’s hits like “Heavy Is the Crown” and “Death Wish.” For her final song, “Six Feet Deep,” Royale asked Corey Lowery of Seether to play guitar with the band. However, she got more than she bargained for because several men dressed like her bounced on the stage. If you haven’t heard of this artist, I urge you to check her out!
Performing next was another musician I’ve been enjoying this year, Tim Montana. The Montana native grabbed the crowd’s attention as he broke into “Get You Some.” While Tim’s stage production wasn’t extensive, his musical talent and charisma still demanded everyone’s eyes on him. He performed about half a dozen songs, including “Ain’t Coming Down,” “Savage,” and “Ashes.” He closed his set by calling Royale Lynn out on stage to join him in singing “Devil You Know.” Tim Montana is an incredible artist, and I am so thankful to have watched him perform.
As the next band, Seether, took the stage, the crowd became lit as they opened with their 2004 hit, “Gasoline.” Few bands chose to open with older songs, but Seether not only opened their set with one song from their first record but three! After “Gasoline,” they proceeded to play “Fine Again” and the crowd-favorite “Broken.” The latter mentioned was stripped down, as Shaun Morgan sang and Dale Stewart accompanied with an acoustic guitar. For the second verse, Royale Lynn came out to sing and harmonize. It was beautiful.
The band continued to play songs from their extensive discography. They played older songs like “Country Song” and “Rise Above This,” tracks from the middle of their twenty-year career like “Nobody Praying For Me,” and newer songs like “Dangerous” and “Wasteland.” To promote their latest album, “The Surface Seems So Far,” they rocked the arena with “Judas Mind.” To end their set, they finished with their big hit singles, “Fake It” and “Remedy.”
Headlining the evening was Skillet. The energy could be felt as they opened with “Feel Invincible.” It is evident that frontman John Cooper is a veteran in entertainment. The band continued to jump around as they played “Rise,” and John got the crowd wild during “Surviving the Game” as he blew smoke from his arm cannons.
Jen Ledger rocked the drums and belted out background vocals as they played “Legendary. ” During “Awake and Alive,” Korey Cooper, Seth Morrison, and cellist Tate Olsen took turns being lifted high above the stage on elevated platforms. Surprisingly, the only song they played from their latest album was “Unpopular.” The crowd’s reaction seemed to be mixed. Half of the people knew it and sang along; the other half seemed unfamiliar.
John, an outspoken Christian, was not afraid to share where his hope is found as he introduced “Hero.” The venue rocked hard as the band played two faster, upbeat songs, “Whispers in the Dark” and “Psycho In My Head.” To end the night, the now Wisconsin-based band played “Comatose, “Monster,” and “The Resistance.” Skillet has existed for nearly thirty years, but this multi-platinum, twice Grammy-nominated band shows no sign of slowing down.
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