Fozzy w/ Adelitas Way Live At The Mercury Ballroom

Tuesday afternoon fans lined the block for what was expected to be a adrenaline rush of a show. A line up of rock bands that was sure to deliver a exceptionally great night of entertainment. If that was the bar that was set, The Stir, Adelitas Way, and Fozzy just set a new record for giving the fans a kick ass performance. As fans piled into the Mercury Ballroom on 4th Street in Louisville you could see the anticipation and the excitement across the venue as it was a sea of Fozzy hats, Adelitas Way t-shirts that filled the room.

A long intro brought The Stir to stage. A first look one might think “This should be interesting and to be honest it was. Andrew Evans– guitar/vocals with his big hair and wowing guitar abilities that could compete with the best of them. Cheney Brannon– drums that was entertaining to watch because you can see the passion in his work. Tanner Hendon on bass with backup vocals working the crowd and getting them into the music. I can see a huge influence of AC/DC in their music which is never a bad thing. Wrapping up their set with their single “Nightshift” which melodically was incredible.

As the stage set up was complete it was cool to see Adelitas Way’s drum set. It was a T-Rex on it and a small T-Rex atop the front drum. Could this be because it’s their favorite dinosaur? Possibly, but in my mind it let’s fans know what to expect. A hardcore in your face rock show never to be forgotten that will chew you up and spit you out (in a good way obviously). Comprised of Rick Dejesus on vocals, Trevor Stafford on guitar and Andrew Cushing on Bass.

I was able to catch Adelitas Way last year on the Make America Rock Again Tour in Corbin Ky and they killed it. This time they even better (somehow). The stage lighting was incredible and fitting with each song. From Bad Reputation, Invincible, the intensity of Ready For War (Pray For Peace) to the fueling and my personal favorite- Notorious. DeJesus performs with a wired mic and when he’s really feeling the music he spins it around and wraps the wire in hand as he belts out the lyrics in a emotion that helps define what Adelitas Way is. At one point DeJesus talks to the crowd and tells them “when they go back to work the next day, a friend asks what they did that night, tell them what the f**k they missed”. Before wrapping up their set they performed their popular love song “Alive” which created a sort of calm over the crowd as everyone swayed to the beat, singing along with every word.

Fozzy was formed in 1991 with Chris Jericho and Rich Ward. Jericho already known world wide for being a WWF/WWE professional wrestler unknown to the world how he makes enough time in a day to excel in all that he does let alone juggles the responsibilities of being a rock star. Fozzy was created with a goal of taking rock/metal music to the next level and I’m pretty sure they threw that out the window and went straight to the top. Their current single off of their “Judas” album, “Judas” hit number 1 on the iTunes metal charts and went to number 5 on the iTunes rock charts. Huge accomplishments

It only took a few minutes for the stage to be changed around and the lights went dark. Two single red siren lights fro, the back of the stage laminated the venue as the band filed out on the stage and took their place across each other facing away from the roaring crowd. Running onto stage is Chris Jericho as he takes the mic from the stand he seamlessly never stops from that moment to the curtain call. Kicking off the night with new hit and single “Judas“. It was like the venue erupted! fans were jumping screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs, hanging on to every word, feeling every chord Billy Grey hit.

The smoke the lighting strobbing, there was always something to look for wheither it was Jericho jumping on the box pointing to the crowd as he sings “What have I become, now that I’ve betrayed Everyone I’ve ever loved, I pushed them all away” as smoke shoots up engulfing Jericho in a haze; or the Rich Ward jumping around stage and riffing his guitar all the way backwards at a few points and staying on his feet. Never a dull moment when Fozzy is on stage!

Paul DiLeo moved along the stage shredding his bass guitar with the beat. Even giving my camera some devil horn love at one point. Billy Grey at one point in the early part of the show came off the stage, jumped on top of the barricade that held back the fans as he riffed his guitar through the mass of adoring fans. Rich Ward guitarist and Paul DiLeo often would play together in a way that seemed to test each other in fun competition and in enjoyment giving a life to their guitars in a way no one else can compare. Frank Fortsere is the man behind the drums giving the foundation to the songs that fans crave. The quickness and power Fortsere uses is unreal. Chris Jericho brings the band full circle with his strong powerhouse vocals that amplify every song.

As the night goes along Fozzy performs songs off all five of their albums. Painless, Do You Want To Start A War, Sandpaper, even a cover of a Michael McDonald song that I wont spoil which one it is. Fans got their moneys worth and a night they will never forget. The smoke the lights, the atmosphere was nothing shy of electrifying. Chris Jericho and co. AKA Fozzy isn’t to be taken lightly because they are quickly becoming pillars of what metal and rock music will stand on. When it comes to talent and performance none can compare to their caliper.

Overall this sow was a 10/10! Nothing could be added that could make it any better. Each band had long sets, performed their big hits, interacted with the crowd and made them apart of the show. Its a fans perfect concert from start to finish. If you haven’t yet check out the Judas Rising Tour and dates click HERE

The Stir