Photos By: Holly Roy Photography
Review By: Joe Perusse

The Pretty Reckless brought their Dear God Tour to Boston, and with Paris Jackson and doug.
along for the ride, the night delivered three very different but equally entertaining performances.
With all three floors of the House of Blues packed by the time The Pretty Reckless hit the
stage, Boston was more than ready for a night of rock.

Kicking things off was doug., who wasted no time getting the crowd fired up with a short but
seriously energetic set. Drummer Jared Hazelton immediately had the hometown crowd on his
side when he walked out wearing a Jason Tatum Celtics jersey before the band launched into
an extended intro.

Alex Paquin (Guitar, Lead Vocals) talked about how good it was to be back on the East Coast,
especially since the band hails from New Hampshire. Kyle Gervais (Bass) held down the low
end while also contributing backing vocals, and Ben Lebeau (Guitar) spent the set shredding his
way through the songs.

I couldn't track down a set list for these guys, but if you're a punk fan, give doug. a listen. Their
short set left a pretty good first impression, and they're definitely a band worth keeping an eye
on.

Next up was Paris Jackson, and she continues to get better every time I see her perform.
Whether she was behind the guitar or moving around the stage with the microphone, she
completely owned the room.

Introducing herself as Paris from Los Angeles, she joked that Boston was basically the Paris of
the East Coast. She admitted she wasn't really sure if that was true, but she needed some extra
time to tune her guitar anyway. The crowd got a good laugh out of it.

Jackson also joked that if she didn't sound good, everyone should blame the sound guy before
introducing her band: Mihailo Lukic (Lead Guitar), Sean Ritchie (Bass), and Jack Gallner
(Drums).

One of the night's fun moments came during the Blind Melon cover "No Rain" when Jackson turned her set list into a paper airplane and sent it flying into the crowd. She also showcased some newer material, including "Albatross" and "Happiest Day of My Life" which closed out her
set.

Before leaving the stage, Jackson reminded everyone to tip their bartender. Solid advice,
especially at a Boston rock show.

By the time The Pretty Reckless took the stage, all three floors of the House of Blues were
packed. Mark Damon opened with a smooth bass line that led into "Death by Rock and Roll"
and Taylor Momsen (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) immediately reminded everyone why she remains
such a commanding frontwoman, unleashing a killer scream midway through the song.

Momsen asked Boston, "How the fuck are you doing?" and the response was exactly what
you'd expect from a packed House of Blues.

Ben Phillips (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals) ripped into the intro of "Since You're Gone," followed
by "Follow Me Down" which had the crowd clapping and throwing their horns in the air.

Momsen stopped to tell the audience how "Fucking awesome" they looked, while Phillips pointed
out that the band has deep New England roots. Momsen climbed onto the front risers for "Miss Nothing" putting herself right in front of the crowd, before "For I Am Death" had everyone bouncing.

Jamie Perkins delivered a powerful drum intro to "When I Wake Up" with Momsen making her way through the photo pit while continuing to work the crowd. She picked up the guitar for "Love
Me" adding another dimension to the performance. Phillips then gave a shoutout to all the nerds and geeks in the room before Momsen introduced "Dragonfire," which she said was Phillips' favorite song. Phillips brought out a 12-string guitar for the song, giving it an especially cool texture. "Spell on You" followed, with Momsen explaining that the intro came from an old VHS recording of her when she was just two years old. It was one of those little personal touches that made the show feel more intimate despite the size of the crowd.

"Devil in Disguise (Michelle's Song)" was dedicated to anyone who has ever lost someone too
soon, bringing a more emotional moment to the set. Then came the big one: "Dear God," the title track from the band's new album and the centerpiece of the tour. From there, The Pretty Reckless took things back to the beginning with "Make Me Wanna Die" "Heaven Knows" and "Going to Hell." The crowd sang along throughout the closing stretch, proving that these songs still hit just as hard as they did when they were first released.

The band returned for the encore with "About You," bringing the night to a strong finish.
Logan Nikolic (Touring Guitarist) rounded out the lineup, and one thing that deserves to be
mentioned was just how good the sound was throughout the entire night. All three bands
sounded sharp, and the House of Blues mix stayed on point from the opening notes of doug.
through the final song from The Pretty Reckless.

A packed House of Blues, three solid performances, and a headliner that delivered exactly what
the crowd came to hear pretty tough way to spend a night in Boston.

By: Terrell Stewart

I was excited about this show to begin with but, with Italy's own Frozen Crown opening on this tour, for their first time in the US, now I am crazy excited! I discovered them in 2019 and bought their second album, Crowned In Frost and hoped that one day I would see them live. That day came Friday 9-11-2026 with Kamelot’s 2026 US tour. I walked into the Summit Music Hall and headed straight for the stage, what I was seeing on stage blew me away! On the left side were the keyboards high up with pipes behind it. In the center was a throne with a skull in the center of it. Above it was a large “K” that lit up. To the right, high up was this amazing drum setup. In front of all this are stained glass windows and spot lights everywhere. (see photo gallery)

Frozen Crown took the stage to a great crowd that let out a deafening roar and started their set with, “The One” from their new album, The Legend of the Six Kings due it October 2026. Right away you knew this was going to be a kick ass set! With Giada “Jade” Etro’s powerful vocals backed by amazing musician’s, filled the venue and the crowd was loving it! Every member worked the stage and interacted with the crowd and myself being the only photographer. As they worked through their set, the crowd was getting louder and louder with each song. 

Frozen Crown finished their set with, “I Am the Tyrant” from the debut album, The Fallen King. As the band took their bows, the crowd thanked them with an amazing roar! What a way to open a show, they were awesome! (On a side note, bassist Francesco Zof stayed home in Italy at the beginning of the North American run following the birth of his daughter.

Frozen Crown members:
Giada "Jade" Etro – vocals (2017–present)
Federico Mondelli – guitars, keyboards, vocals (2017–present)
Niso Tomasini – drums (2021–present)
Alessia Lanzone – guitars (2023–present)
Alexandra Lioness – guitars (2025–present)

Setlist:
The One
Neverending
Who Wants to Burn in Heaven
Reborn
Iris
Goo Goo Dolls cover
Kings
I Am the Tyrant

Having covered Visions of Atlantis 5 times before, I knew what to expect from them and damn if they didn’t take it up another notch, not suprising. I will never get tired of vocalists Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli. To listen to them and watch them work the stage together is something to see. VOA opened their set with, “Master the Hurricane” from their 2022 album, Pirates. Their music filled the venue and the crowd showed them their appreciation after each song. I have been asked, why cover a band so many times? Easy, first their music, second, is the band's stage presence and their outfits are photographer's delight. 

Their music videos are fun to watch with their pirate themes. VOA finished their set with two of my favorite songs, “Melancholy Angel” from their 2022 album, Pirates and “Armada” from the 2024 album, Pirates II. Another powerful set and Kamelot was next. Time to catch your breath!

Visions of Atlantis members:
Clémentine Delauney – female vocals (2013–present)
Christian Douscha – guitars (2017–present)
Herbert Glos – bass (2017–present)
Michele Guaitoli – male vocals (2018–present)
Marco Sacchetto - drums (filling in for Thomas Caser)

Setlist:
Master the Hurricane
Clocks
Tonight I'm Alive
Legion of the Seas
Hellfire
Pirates Will Return
Melancholy Angel
Armada

Right from the start, Kamelot set the tone for a powerful and passionate set starting their night with, “The Great Pandemonium” from their 2010 album, Poetry for the Poisoned, and an atmosphere was created on stage that would carry through the night. With the song, “Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)” from their 2015 album, Haven.
​
Joining Tommy on stage for this song was Giada"Jade"Etro and the two of them blended together so well, you would have thought they had worked together for years. Their passion and the power of Kamelot filled the venue and their fans were blown away. I thought to myself, of the many times I have covered Kamelot, this is going to be a mind blowing night to remember!

Throughout their set, Tommy spent much of his time at the front of the stage, kneeling down and pouring his passion into each and every song as the front rows sang along. Thomas Youngblood and Sean Tibbetts worked their way about the stage, unleashing a powerful energy that perfectly matched Tommy’s vocals. High up on the drum riser, Alex Landenburg was a little tough to see, but being elevated allowed his thunderous sound to carry beautifully through the venue, filling the room and adding an epic scale to every song. Again, Giada"Jade"Etro joined Tommy on stage with the song, “New Babylon” from the 2023 album, The Awakening. Watching and listening to these two together, at times I would put my camera down and watch and listen.

As I stood off to the side close to drummer Alex Landenburg, he broke into a drum solo that had everyone mesmerized, wishing I had a video of it. Then it was Oliver Palotai’s turn on the piano. High up on the left side of the stage, he powered through an awesome solo. Winding down did not slow down when Clémentine Delauney and Giada “Jade” Etro joined Tommy together for the song,”Sanctuary” from the album, Dark Asylum. It was amazing to watch and listen to the three of them together. Putting the finishing touches on an incredible show, Giada”Jade” Etro joined Tommy again for “Ashen World” from Dark Asylum and brought to end, for me, the best performance by Kamelot I have ever seen and the crowd was the loudest it had been all night!

Kamelot members:
Thomas Youngblood – guitars, backing vocals (1987–present)
Oliver Palotai – keyboards, additional guitars (2005–present)
Sean Tibbetts – bass (1991–1992, 2009–present)
Tommy Karevik – lead vocals (2012–present)
Alex Landenburg – drums, percussion (2019–present)


Setlist:
The Great Pandemonium
Rule the World
Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)With Giada"Jade"Etro
Godlike Alchemy
Karma
Revolution
New Babylon With Giada”Jade” Etro 2023 -The Awakening
⁠Dark Asylum
⁠Ivy, My Dear
Drum Solo
One More Flag in the Ground
Piano Solo
“Sanctuary” With Clémentine Delauney and Giada”Jade” Etro 2026 Dark Asylum  
Ashen World With Giada Etro

​

Photos By: Holly Roy Photography
Review By: Kat Gullage

​Chad Gray made a stop at Big Night Live in Boston’s West End to deliver a little of both worlds, performing Mudvayne and Hellyeah, with Butcher Babies along for support.
​
Can’t walk a block anywhere without someone recognizing our trusty photographer, Holly, so naturally she was gettin chatted up on the way in. I spotted one girl whose style immediately caught my eye, black form-fitting long-sleeve kinda crop top paired with chartreuse ruched parachute pants that somehow looked both comfy and cool. And, of course, hair and makeup on point.

The highlight though, was being welcomed by Gray’s guitarist, and genuinely legit individual, Marcus Rafferty. Even though he was on the hunt for lost keys, he stopped to hang and laugh with us until we had to head inside. We walked away, our faces plastered with smiles courtesy of Rafferty’s shiny positive vibes.

I’d heard of Butcher Babies, but this was my first time reviewing them. I knew their off-putting band name was actually based on a song by the Plasmatics, “Butcher Baby”. I knew they began with two kick ass female vocalists, but one of them, Carla Harvey, departed the group in 2024. I knew they had five studio LPs and three EPs and would hit on five of em in their twelve song set.

As it turns out though, I didn’t know shit.
​
Cuz the Butcher Babies took the stage and lead vocalist Heidi Shepherd was none other than my fashionista crush with the fierce outfit! She yelled “What the fuck is up Boston?” before they assaulted us with two from ...Til The World’s Blind, “Backstreets of Tennessee” and “Red Thunder”. The vocals bounced from soft and melodious to metalcore growl so I tried to figure out who the hell else was singing.

It. Was. Just. Her.

Okay, bassist Sean Violet did contribute some back up vocals, but it was Heidi’s flex that impressed me. “Goddammit Boston we are so absolutely grateful to be with you here tonight. You have my permission to go wild in the pit, up above, in the booths!” She introduced us to the ‘Butcher Baby Chant’ which incited a back and forth of “No you can’t stop movin”.

“We are the Butcher Babies and we are here, Boston, to fuck shit up! Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages……” Heidi proclaimed as she jumped on the rail, intent on firing up the crowd to their full potential for “Monsters Ball” (Take It Like A Man) followed by the first single released without Carla, “Sincerity” (The Insincerity EP). That track that resonated with me the most.

They headed back to Blind for “Beaver Cage” and then “It’s Killin’ Time, Baby!” (Eye For An Eye), before two from Nightbloom with “Lost In Your Touch” and, “What’s that Boston?” The frontwoman asked coyly. “What did you say? Oh, you want something heavy?” before she snarled “Open this pit up!” for “Black Dove”.

The bass player spanked his axe like they were alone in a room. Lead guitarist, Henry Flury, joined in and the trio went absolutely wild up front for “Spittin’ Teeth” with both axemen jumping onto the risers, Heidi bounced around and threw up the occasional impressive high kick while drummer Dave Nickles thundered behind them.

Next thing I knew Heidi was throwing out instructions “Please open it up, I’m comin in” and, poof, she was in the middle of the pit which went from sluggish and sporadic to a full blown one for “Blame It On The Wind” (Nightbloom).

The band fed us the intro to Korn’s “Blind” while Shepherd made her way back to the stage for “Last December”. “Boston, thank you guys so much! We’re doing something new on this tour, we gotta do it quick!”

She pulled up a fan to write the gig location and deets on their white drum kit. The fan, Jordan, was asked to give her best scream and she did not disappoint. “We are the Butcher Babies and this is our last song of the night.” Heidi had the crowd scream in a wave which was fun. They pulled from Goliath for the set closer, “Magnolia Blvd.”.

The Butcher Babies are all grown up but they’ll still take you on in the pit. Catch em live and see for yourself!

Chad Gray, who also answers to “Kud”, “Chüd”, “Chadnesss” or “Helvis”, was the frontman and lead vocalist for the metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah. And the loyal followers of both flocked to hear him unleash those songs and celebrate thirty years of his madnesss.

Chad took the stage with half of his face painted Mudvayne style and half makeup-less for Hellyeah, then proceeded to pummel our earholes with a fourteen song set. He kicked it off with “HELLYEAH” from Hellyeah’s self titled album, followed by “Moth” (Blood For Blood). Some dude at the bar was rocking out so hard he made the floor shake. And that was just at the bar!

Chad almost tripped on a riser during “Moth” but managed to stay upright. Phew! Cuz a few years ago he actually did tumble off the stage, ironically while performing “Not Falling”. The show must go on, and it did, with a Mudvayne track, fan favorite “Happy?” (Lost And Found).

Chad took a breather to address his loyal fans. “Boston Mass is alive and well tonight! Front to back you guys have been incredible! We have a new thing where you guys choose the song.” I thought that was so fuckin cool. “I’m just a troublemaker metalhead” the frontman chuckled. The choice was between two Hellyeah tracks off of Blood For Blood, “Demons In The Dirt” or “Sangre Por Sangre”. As the crowd shouted out their choices, the singer remarked “Don’t fucking fight, it’s all good. Someone loses, someone wins, it's all good!” It was so good that the band performed both of them. Turns out nobody had to lose.

Back to Mudvayne for “Death Blooms” (L.D. 50) a deeply personal song Chad wrote in tribute to his grandmother who raised him and endured a long battle with cancer. Gray then confessed to his followers, “Thank you so goddamn much. For thirty years you’ve been tellin me I saved your life. You saved me, gave me purpose. You’ve given me a reason to live. My friends around the world have saved me. I’ve written songs, like I dunno, it’s telling my story. Gonna put this out there, maybe they been through it. Tell ya what, it’s hard knocks out there. Sometimes, this next one, not sure if I shoulda released it.” The song in question was Hellyeah’s “Hush”, a slower roll bursting with emotion. Its message about domestic violence sometimes staying hidden, while at the same time encouraging escape and survival.

More Mudvayne was on deck with “Nothing To Gein” (L.D. 50) and “Dull Boy” (The New Game). We got to play the choice game again! The singer prefaced it with “When you come to a metal show, ya scream and let all that pent up bullshit go!” Fans had to decide once again between two Hellyeah tunes, “333” (Welcome Home) or “Say When” (Blood For Blood) and the latter was the clear winner.

Mudvayne’s well known “World So Cold” (The End Of All Things To Come) had the crowd singing along. The official setlist outlined (-1 or Silenced), both Mudvayne songs, at this point but we got neither. We did get more Mudvayne with “Not Falling” (The End) and more Hellyeah with “Love Fails”. The solid set closed with fan favorite and certified pit instigator “Dig” off Mudvayne’s L.D. 50.

Gray was backed by bassist Nick Villarreal, drummer Devin Attard and guitarists Joe Bonasorte and our boy Marcus Rafferty. The sound clarity was spot on and the band played with enthusiasm and pride the entire night. The diehard fans of all ages that packed the venue got exactly what they came for.

Chad Gray’s resume includes five studio albums with Mudvayne, six with the supergroup Hellyeah, multiple vocal guest appearances and was one of the producers of the nu-metal band Nonpoint’s album Miracle.

Did you love Mudvayne and/or Hellyeah? Hit up one of Chad’s shows when he steamrolls through your town. Double check the dates first though, been noticing some last minute tweaks.

By: Kat Gullage

An Evening With Staind to “experience Break The Cycle live, front to back” was a special one night only performance as both Staind’s third studio LP and Mohegan Sun are celebrating twenty-fifth anniversaries.


Staind formed in 1995 an hour north of the venue in Springfield MA. We watched em perform local gigs until they hit it big with Dysfunction in 1999. They’ve released eight studio albums, but their highest-charting song “It’s Been Awhile”, comes from Break The Cycle, which recently went eight-times platinum, with a revived interest as fans ready for the upcoming tour. The song also won at the 2001 “My VH1 Music Awards” for the “Your Song Kicked Ass But Was Played Too Damn Much” category.


A twenty fifth anniversary is marked by silver, and the symbolism of that metal can also easily apply to metalheads who have stuck with the band. Silver signifies: marriage that has lasted a quarter century, polished and sustained through time and shared experiences, resisting tarnish and corrosion, a rare and precious investment of time and loyalty. Sounds a helluva lot like being a Staind fan.


This was at least my tenth Staind show and I’ve never seen a bad one. I was psyched to hear the deep cuts. If ya wanted to hear just the hits, the moose out front shoulda told ya that Break The Cycle was being performed in its entirety.


“Open Your Eyes” was followed by “Pressure” (last performed 2009) and fan favorite “Fade”. Aaron Lewis, beloved voice of Staind, addressed the fans. “Good evening, so glad you’re all here. Welcome to the show. Here’s a song I wrote cuz someone told me I couldn’t.” This was the intro to “It’s Been Awhile” and the Staind devotees proved they will never tire of hearing it.


A coupla lesser known songs were next, both last performed in 2002: “Change” and the super-heavy “Can’t Believe” which was the set highlight for me. My least favorite was next (it’s just so slow) and Aaron explained “Wrote this next song about suffering from ADD” before performing “Epiphany”.


It was back to the deep cuts and heavy shit with “Suffer” (last performed 2011). “We don’t play this song too much, we will be now,” Aaron remarked before we got the live debut (!) of “Warm Safe Place”. My fave of the five singles Break The Cycle spawned was on deck, “For You” and Staind delivered a picture perfect rendition.


“This next song started out as a mistake” was the frontman’s intro for “Outside”, which had the crowd singing along and lighting up the arena. Us diehard Staind fans know the story: Aaron actually played the song for a while, making up different lyrics each time because it was unfinished. At a 1999 Family Values tour stop, Aaron was on stage by himself, with Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst on backing vocals, and he completed the lyrics on the spot while singing the song live. Crazy way for one of Staind’s most well known hits to come into existence.


The main set closed with “Waste” (last performed 2006) and “Take It” (last performed 2004), two more obscure tracks that delivered the anniversary celebration as promised.


Would there be an encore? We were in uncharted territory. Those of us in GA pit speculated about it. My thought was they just played thirteen tracks, we’re lucky if they come out and feed us just Mudshovel.


Staind did reemerge, to our delight. “Been a long time since Springfield. So glad we can continue doing it.” They surprised me by performing the hauntingly beautiful “Something To Remind You” (Staind) while images of “lost beautiful people” flashed on the big screen behind them. Wayne Static, Chester Bennington, Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, Scott Weiland, and Jon Wysocki (Staind drummer 1995-2011) were just some of the familiar faces included in the tribute.


Then we got even more! “Right Here” (Chapter V) and “So Far Away” (14 Shades Of Grey). “Thank you so very much for sharing this evening with us. Pretty special occasion. We’re fuckin old but still kickin fuckin ass. Hope you enjoyed. God Bless.”


Staind pounded us with “Mudshovel” (Tormented and Dysfunction) to wrap the encore and were finally greeted with some resemblance of a mosh pit.


Staind is a trio of OGs: Aaron Lewis on guitar and lead vocals, Johnny April on bass and backing vocals and Mike Mushok on lead guitar. Sal Giancarelli has been handling percussion since 2011. There’s no flashy fire or massive production, but you’ll get imagery, lighting and the occasional smoke machine blast.


I find Aaron’s voice, if you love it, is the draw. He is a man of few words (especially at this gig) and doesn’t jump around or do anything flashy. He doesn’t have to. Lead guitarist Mike Mushok however, does not stop headbanging, jumping around or striking his signature pose of hunching over and holding his axe two millimeters off the ground. He may not immediately come to mind when pondering great guitarists, but this guy levels up every time I see him. I was perched in front of Mushok in the pit and it ended up being the best seat in the house.


Staind is heading out on a twenty-four date tour that runs through 10/19/26. They’ve been doing this for thirty years, a well oiled machine that still kicks ass, and they’re ready to celebrate this special anniversary with you. For You.

By: Tracy Heck
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Last week, Rush brought their Fifty Something reunion tour to Detroit for two shows at Little
Caesars Arena on Wednesday, August 26th and Friday, August 28th.

The tour is a great celebration of Rush's legacy and music and also allows vocalist Geddy Lee
and guitarist Alex Lifeson to honor drummer Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020.

Joining Lee and Lifeson on tour is drummer Anika Nilles, who has found a way to stay true to
Peart’s style while incorporating her own nuances.

Friday’s show in Detroit concentrated on Rush’s Moving Pictures album as the band played the
album in its entirety including staple “Tom Sawyer,” with a South Park video lead in and a 11-
minute version of “The Camera Eye,” which featured a piano intro from touring keyboardist
Loren Gold and a killer Lifeson guitar solo.

The Canadian progressive rock heavyweights have been following that format throughout the
tour featuring different set lists each night that concentrate on a different album from their
catalog.

The Fifty Something tour is the bands first in 11 years and their joy at being able to perform
again came through loud and clear as they laughed and joked throughout their three hour and five
minutes show that included a 25-minute intermission. During that time, Lee kept the ball-rolling with his ageless voice as they ran through 24 classic songs.

Rush opened with “Xanadu” and closed the first set with “The Spirit of Radio.” They also
performed “Bravado” with a video tribute to Peart.

Rush returned to the stage to perform the Moving Pictures album before moving into another
tribute to Peart with “Time Stand Still”, crowd fave “Closer to the Heart” and “2112” in its
entirety.

As the sold out crowd lit up the arena, the band returned for an encore of “By-Tor & the Snow
Dog” and “Working Man.”
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The entire evening went above and beyond expectations and left the crowd of all ages in a great
mood.