Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God - One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen

This is seriously the best show i’ve seen in a very long time. Maybe it had something to do with the thrill of it though. Because this is also the first time I didn’t have my tickets in advance. I had been wanting to go since I found out about it, but there was a possibility I could miss it due to these conferences for work I thought I might have to go to. So needless to say, I didn’t get to go to the conferences so I was able to go to this concert.

And I am extremely happy I was able to go to this because it really was worth it. I’m still not happy I missed the conference for work (because they are so important for what I do) but at least I can say there is a definite upside to not being able to make either of them.

Now, this should have been my 3rd time seeing LOG and my second time seeing KSE. But I lost the tickets to the previous KSE show I was supposed to go see (which would have been at the Chicago House of Blues). I was not happy about that at the time. And if I would have known how good they are in concert, I would have been even more pissed. So this was actually my 3rd time seeing LOG and only my first time seeing KSE.

Lamb of God Band Pic

As much as I like Killswitch Engage, I have to say I went to see Lamb of God. And I was very surprised to hear that they were not the closer. But that didn’t matter too much, they still had a great set. I was most excited about the fact that they were going to be at Congress Theater. I had seen Slipknot and Unearth there before and it was a killer show. So before I actually saw it, I could only imagine what a LOG show would be like at Congress Theater; and it was just as crazy as I thought it would be. They PACKED the house. Waaaay more than Slipknot did (not surprisingly).

LOG actually had some technical difficulties during the show, which really kinda sucked. So much so that one of the guitarists was actually off stage for what seemed like about 2 songs. I remember my brother being like “dude, aren’t they missing someone?” But I gotta hand it to them, even with the issues they had, they still just rocked the place. The breakdown at the beginning of the song “Walk With Me in Hell” was one of the most bad ass things I’ve witnessed. There was no wall of death for “Black Label”, but that’s ok. Congress isn’t as great of a place for something like that; at least not like the lawn seating at Ozzfest was. That was the biggest pit I’ve ever seen. Randy, the lead singer of LOG, said it was the biggest pit of the summer. I know that’s kinda one of those things bands just say, but I really wouldn’t doubt that it was. I mean, they even mentioned it last night at this concert (completely separate tour).

Killswitch Engage Band Pic

So after LOG got off stage, they started setting up for KSE and you could tell that it was going to be a great show. They were putting up ramps, new lights, new backdrops… just the works. And as soon as they came on and started playing, it was apparent that it really was a KSE show last night. It was just obvious that they had the most fans there as the show went on. People were really getting into it. I knew they were big, but I didn’t expect them to out-show LOG.

And as I’m listening to all the KSE I have today at work, I would almost say that you really shouldn’t judge them until you see them live. They’re just that good. Howard Jones, the lead singer, was nothing short of perfect. And Adam Dutkiewicz, that lanky goof with the glasses in the pic above was a riot. Crackin’ jokes between songs and just having a great time dressed in his skeleton suit and cape. But I think the thing I love most about this band is the drummer, Justin Foley. Not that he’s like some ridiculously amazing drummer that is better than everyone else or anything (like Hate Eternal’s drummer, Derek Roddy), but because of his simplicity. He really doesn’t have that huge or necessarily impressive drum set, but man can he really make the best of it. I mean, he plays in a modern day metal band, so obviously the double bass drumming is essential, yet he only uses one bass drum. And he’s really good at it. He had a very small solo at the show and it was freakin awesome. And he seems like an awesome dude, too. Here’s a pic with him and a fan:

Baahahahaha… He looks like a gnome or something!

Overall, the whole band seems like an awesome bunch of dudes. And you can tell they really love performing, too. They just shine on stage and I really wish I would have seen them at the House of Blues last year. But oh well, at least I can say I’ve seen them now. And to all that were in Chicago, like the music, and didn’t go… Shame on you. But also thanks for not going because then I might not have been able to get tickets ;)

So the moral of the story is… if you get a chance to see them on this tour, do it. Period. You won’t regret it. I certainly didn’t.