On October 20, 2015 Halestorm finally makes it to Reno to blow the roof off the Knitting Factory Concert House after the band canceled the two previous scheduled shows. The first in February (2015) due to Lzzy Hale getting sick with the flu on the day the show was to be held and the second in June (2015) due to Hale losing her voice from exhaustion. Hale said in a statement a week before the show this time, “The fans deserve to see the band at a hundred percent and at this time my voice is just not there after much touring”. The band canceled the next three shows and again Reno was one of them.
Halestorm is an American rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The group’s self-titled debut album was released on April 28, 2009, through Atlantic Records. Their second album The Strange Case Of… was released on April 10, 2012. Its lead single “Love Bites (So Do I)” from that album won their first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance on February 10, 2013. The band is now touring in support of their third studio album “Into The Wild Life” which was released through Atlantic Records on April 10, 2015.
Members of band include, Lzzy Hale (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano), Arejay Hale (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Joe Hottinger (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals) and Josh Smith (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals).
The Reno show was the last one of the bands current US tour, they wanted to take a couple weeks off and just rest before continuing the tour in Europe. And because the band had to cancel Reno twice, Halestorm decided drop the openers so they could do the show solo and play for nearly three hours which included a thirty minute acoustic set before the regular electric set. It really worked out very well for Reno.
The acoustic set played out like this,
“Break In”, “Rock Show”, “Hands On You”, “What Sober Couldn’t Say”, “Familiar Taste Of Poison” and “Mz. Hyde”.
After a short thirty minute intermission the band came out and finished with the electric set that went like this,
“Mayhem”, “Freak Like Me”, “Apocalyptic”, “Scream”, “I Am The Fire”, “Unapologetic”, “Amen”, “Bad Girl’s World”, “Sick Individual”, “Jump The Gun”, “Innocence”, “Dear Daughter”, “New Modern Love”, “I Like It Heavy”, “She Won’t Mind”, (Awesome Drum Solo), “Love Bites (So Do I)”, “I Get Off”, “Here’s To Us” and “I Miss The Misery”.
This examiner can remember the day in February when Halestorm was to play that night at the Knit, I could hardly wait for the show to start, then came the message from my friend who is in the band (Anchors For Airplanes) that was to open for Halestorm that night, it said the show was canceled or postponed for a later date, but didn’t say why or when. I was very disappointed to say the least. A little while later the Knit posted on facebook that Hale picked up a virus at a show she was at watching a friends band play the night before. The show was rescheduled for a June date. Well, that show got scratched too due to Hale again, this time for exhaustion. Now I’m really up set. When the show got rescheduled this time for an October date, I had my doubts this show was ever going to happen. Well it finally did and let me just say this, it was worth the wait as Lzzy and the boys tore it up again as expected.
Many of the Reno Halestorm fans that I know, and there’s a lot, were worried that this show would happen, but not until next year. So when the new Oct. 20th date was announced there was a lot of very happy fans here in Reno. The show was now being dubbed as “The Third Times A Charm Reno Tour” by some fans.
Wait, there’s more to this story. Like the band did the last time they rocked Reno, they played a three song acoustic set with a Q&A session in between songs and photos with the band afterwards at the Musician Rehearsal Center (MRC) in Reno. Shane Whitecloud from Rock 104.5 Reno’s Rock Station was the host.
Tickets were $25.00 for the show with all proceeds going to The Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet of Northern Nevada. All 50 tickets were sold.
Famous Dave’s BBQ served lunch as they always do for these types of events that the MRC and Rock 104.5 put together with some of the major touring bands that come through are area on tour.
After all is said and done, Halestorm came through and did a fantastic show for Reno as they always do when they come to town, This examiner knows one thing for sure, I won’t be missing any of their shows that come here. Halestorm is and always be one of my favorite bands to see live.
A great time was had by all.
As usual the Knitting Factory Concert House always brings the best shows to downtown Reno, to see what’s next there, (click here).
If you want to see all the photos of Halestorm at this show (click here) and the acoustic set at the MRC, (click here).
As with all this examiners reviews and feature stories, “The Photos Are What It’s All About”, so check out the photo slideshow and enjoy the show.
All photos by JOHN TUCKNESS
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