I think one of the most amazing things about the Halestorm show I got to see this past week in San Francisco was not only that it ended around 10:30 PM, but that they were the only band on the bill. That’s so rare nowadays for a band of their size. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a band that created that intimate and personal of a show with only themselves on the bill, but created with all of the effort of a full-package tour? It’s a rare sight, and one that I was happy to witness.
The four piece metal group took the stage in San Francisco on Monday night at The Regency Ballroom. Vocalist Lzzy Hale walked onstage around 8:00, taking a spot at the piano located center stage. The band followed shortly after the first two songs, providing the set with a special treat: an all-acoustic set. Halestorm performed six or seven songs in a completely acoustic format, before breaking for twenty minutes and returning with an all-electric set up.
One of the biggest highlights and surprises of the night was the charismatic presence and performance given by the drummer, Arejay Hale (Lzzy’s brother). And I’m not just referring to the insane drum solo he performed towards the end of the night. I’m referring to his ability to create as much energy as his fellow band mates (maybe even more) all the way from the back of the stage, and carrying that same energy in every single drum hit. It’s so rare to see a drummer do that nowadays, so it was extremely fun to witness that aspect of the show.
Another enjoyable aspect of the bands performance was that the Hales (Lzzy and Arejay), guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bassist Joe Smith genuinely looked like they were having fun. They didn’t have to force it in any way. You could feel that positivity anywhere you stood in the venue; it radiated all the way from the front of the crowd to the highest up seats in the back of the ballroom.
At one point in the night, Lzzy Hale paused in between songs, stating that someone was going around saying that rock and roll was no longer alive (a reference to the ongoing comments made by Gene Simmons of KISS). “San Francisco, we’re here on a Monday,” she remarks, looking out to the packed house. “Does rock and roll look dead to you?!” No. No it does not.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.