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Band:Sevendust Album:Alpha Record Company:Asylum Records Writer: Linda "vertigo" Ode Click Album Cover To Buy Now

I’ve been absent from covering shows and doing reviews here at rockmymonkey.com. My first review back is of the Sevendust, RED, Diecast, and In Vitro show at the Showbox in Seattle on Saturday March 24th, 2007.

We arrive at 7:15 after being told that RED would hit the stage at 8:15. There is a line completely around the block, because the website said doors were at 7, but at the Showbox, it seems that 7 translates to “whenever the hell we feel like letting you people in from the rain.” I walk up to the guy at the front of the line, and interrupt him from his extremely important chitchat with some buddies of his. Before I can even say a word, Buddy # 1 says, “I can answer your question… there’s the line” as he points to the line I can obviously see. So I say “No, I’m wondering if there is a Will Call or Box Office, or somewhere for media to sign in.” All four buddies laugh, while security guard and Buddy #1 exchange a high-5. Security Guard repeats that I have to wait in line.

Well I’m not waiting in line out in the cold. So my husband and I cross the street to the Pike Brewery and have ourselves a beer sampler. At about 7:50 I figure we better get back over to the line so we can be in and have a good spot by 8:15, just in case that is when RED goes on. We get in the doors at 8:00. Well, of course, I have my camera, but you have to go inside to get your photo pass. So the woman security guard who checks bags reluctantly lets me in and then tells me to come back and show her my photo pass. Seriously? Come back through a line of 30 people to show her a damn sticker? Give me a break.

I arrive at the man with the lists, hand him my I.D. and say “I’ve got a photo pass and a plus one for RED and Sevendust.” He scans the list and gives me a photo pass. I say “Ok, this is my plus one” while pointing to my husband, and the guy then gets all huffy and says I need to contact someone. I try to call my contact. He doesn’t answer. So I drop the tour manager’s name. He finally figures out that the name I drop is for RED, and he proceeds to tell me that I need to let him know I’m on more than one list. Funny, I thought the words “RED and Sevendust” would indicate I was on more than one list, but apparently I was mistaken.

We missed most of In Vitro while traversing the ridiculous security, so we settle in the bar and find a good spot to stand. The thing I remember most about the two songs I heard from this band were that their drummer can play a mean double bass. Diecast came out next. We really liked these guys. Elitists might call them a Pantera clone, but maybe that’s exactly why we enjoyed them. The singer was this big dude that could totally wail on screams and on singing. Their songs were structured very well, with solos and breakdowns thrown in at all the right moments. They did a ballad, and then followed that up with a cover of “Highway to the Danger Zone.” Hilarious.

Finally RED was up. I was near the front and I was enjoying taking my photos when of course I started getting flashlights shone in my face. I pointed to my photo pass and continued shooting. The woman with the flashlight sent another guy over my way to check for my pass. He cleared me and I continued shooting. Halfway through the third song, they started shining their lights at me again. The guy who cleared me came back to tell me there was a three song limit. I said “This IS the third song.” He told me to go talk to miss flashlight. She says “three song limit.” So I go “this IS the third song.” And she goes “Exactly. This is it.” Instead of arguing the point that they should tell me to go away after the third song instead of during it, I decide it’s better to just let these people wallow in their superiority and head on back to my husband.

RED put on a great set. I really like the energy of the guys. They were flinging their guitars around, jumping up and down. The music was very melodic, but really rocking at the same time. The singer had a beautiful, crystalline voice, and he enunciated very well. He wasn’t extremely talkative, but he did let us know that he found it funny that it was raining outside on his first visit to Seattle. Before I knew it their set was over. I would highly recommend checking them out though. They were really good, and I hope they come back around soon.

The last band of the evening was of course the almighty Sevendust. They had been blasting AC/DC between sets throughout the evening, but before Sevendust came out, we got to hear some Metallica, and some Guns & Roses. I’m pretty sure the drum tech was doing sound check during “It’s So Easy” because I could see the sheet on the drums moving and it sounded like he was playing the bass drum along with the song. After a little intro of “Something I can Never Have” by Nine Inch Nails, Sevendust came out and blew the stage up. During their set I just stayed in the bar and shot off as many photos as I could. Of course a security guard walked over to check my photo pass, as was fully expected by me.

I don’t know if the eq was off, or if I was just standing in a bad spot for sound, but it seemed like the guitars were just going chugga chugga, rather than giving off a lot of melody. It was hard for my husband and I both to make out the melody of the songs. At least the singer was right on. He gave props to a set of 13 year old twins. Their dad was down there on the floor with them, and the singer continued on about how he feels like some of the shows are family reunions. They played some old stuff to please the old school fans, and they played some new stuff as well. They also had to take a break because the drummer broke his snare stand. That’s not something that happens very often. All in all they put on a great show and were very good at being involved with their fans.

I feel like I got to see some great bands, and take some good photos. I enjoyed myself for the most part. But I do have one final gripe about The Showbox and it’s security. I understand that the people who work at music venues have to deal with idiots and drunks day in and day out. However, that is not my problem. Venues should have the person with the list standing way before the person who checks your bag. Or they could even have a separate line for people on a list (which they could easily do, as this place has about 6 doors at their entrance). My final point being, if the security guards all do their jobs as well as they themselves seem to think they do, then they should know that a person with a camera also has a photo pass, because since they are so awesome and superior and smart, they wouldn’t let cameras in without passes, now would they?

Band:Red Album:End of Silence Record Company:Essential Records Writer: Linda "vertigo" Ode Click Album Cover To Buy Now

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