We’ve all gotten used to concerts with 10,000 plus attendees. If you’re lucky enough to get there early and can sustain the rush of people trying to get closer to the front, you might get to make eye contact with your favorite artist. This was not one of those shows. Scandals Live is a small to medium (250 capacity) tour stop for bands that want to have a more intimate performance with their fans. And tonight, that was going to be a fun experience. A real treat of these types of shows is that local bands are booked by the promoters, Cutthroat Concerts along with Shattersound Productions.
The first band of the night was Richmond, VA based Dividing Face. A strong four-piece unit that has opened for several nationally touring bands hitting the local area. They played a hard charging set that got the crowd primed.
DIVIDING FACE
Next up on the bill was Embrace the Oblivion. A three-piece band with a very deep sound that got the heads banging in the crowd.
EMBRACE THE OBLIVION
Next up was Jacksonville, NC (USA) based To Begin Anew. Self-described as “an adrenaline-infused music experience that brings fans together to feel more alive than ever” is an apt description. To date, they have one EP under their belt and will continue to grow.
TO BEGIN ANEW
On stage next was another Virginia based band, Hostile Within. Having seen them numerous times in the local area, I knew the sing along time was about to begin. The band consists of Billy Sadler, Scott Chappell, Jason Hardesty, Jason Hurdle and Jeff Donahoe. These guys have been on the circuit for a while and tonight they opened with their latest single Wake Up. They have a strong rock background that has a very polished presentation through years of experience. They had a 7-song set that consisted of
- Wake Up
- Ashes Fall
- Bleed for Me
- Wasted Time
- Shepherd of Fire (A7X cover)
- Breathe Again
- Let’s Begin
HOSTILE WITHIN
And to close out the night, Dallas, TX (USA) based Drowning Pool. This was a headlining show that they played on an off day on their tour with Saliva before they continue their tour. They have been around well over 20 years and have had guitarist C.J. Pierce, drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton, as well as different vocalists. Their current lead vocalist is Ryan McCombs, who also does double duty fronting the band SOIL. They started out as a three-piece instrumental band and later added a vocalist and that is when they took off. They were a staple of the early Ozzfest tours and that was where I first saw them. Having had the same musicians in the band since day one has provided a consistent sound for the band and every show is an energy driven crowd pleaser. Tonight was no different. They hit the stage and opened the show with the title track from their very first album, Sinner. They played a hard charging set that consisted of:
- Sinner
- Step Up
- Let the Sin Begin
- Enemy
- 37 Stitches
- Rebel Yell (Billy Idol cover)
- Pity
- Tear Away
- Bodies
DROWNING POOL
All these years, there is still a lot of fun to enjoy. Catch them on tour throughout the USA through October. You won’t be disappointed..
