I had the day off yesterday for a morning doctor visit and then vegged out the rest of the day, only to drag ass off the couch, hop in the shower and hot foot it up to the PNC Bank Arts Center to see in my opinion, one of the most fun Rat Rock artists around, Five Finger Death Punch! Oh but it was more than just a FFDP show!
Fire From The Gods opened the show to a light, but enthusiastic crowd. Then after wolfing our spicy as f*ck steak tacos from the Arts Center concession stand, my partner, Doug from Howell and I made our way down to our 15th row seats (I know, lucky radio guy), to witness the spectacle that is The HU. The Mongolians came to rock, and man from the opening song til the last they brought the power, musically and vocally. I must say if you have never seen them live, you have to. The Hu is an impressive ensemble arrangement. Hell, they even did a cover of Metallica’s Sad But True, even though I think they did it in Mongolian, but still..It kicked ass!
Next up was Megadeath, and we decided to watch them from the comfort of one of the many high top tables along the edge of the plaza, as we were meeting up with another friend. Megadeath is like an old friend you are always happy to see. Dave Mustaine brings the power still, like few in the business, and with former White Lion and BLS bassist James LoMenzo along for the ride, you barely miss Dave Ellefson. they did all the hits, and Dave sneered his “Hello Me, Meet The Real Me” sneer to perfection, as expected. This legendary band made for a solid addition to an already stellar lineup!
Finally it was time for the ‘Punch! Again I will say, they are one of the most fun bands to see. Why? They make me feel like a kid again. Five Finger Death Punch is very modern, but they always remind me of the old rock and metal shows I used to attend as a teenager. From the fire and lights, to the outfits and imagery, even to the drum solo..You hardly ever see bands do kick ass drum solos anymore! The definite highlights of the night included when Ivan gave a signed American flag to a front row Vet, in exchange for a US Marine flag, sighting that his Grandpa was an MP in the Marines, and it would mean a lot to him. Then the band launched into their version of Bad Company. While perhaps the best performance of the night came when they did Wrong Side Of Heaven, with Ivan doing the first couple of verses solo on stage acapella style, almost as a preamble of what was to come. Just a killer night all around. It was nice to see many parents there with their kids too. I hope you enjoy my gallery of shots I managed to get off in between fist pumps and screams.