The Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, is not a venue that I’d typically associate with a Rock and Roll show. The historic Crystal Ballroom, with it’s unique mechanical dance floor, intricate architectural embellishments, and beautiful murals has been host to countless artists over the course of it’s 103 year history. And on Sunday, March 5, the Crystal played host to Devour the Day, The Sick Puppies, and Skillet! Can the Crystal rock as hard as any other venue? Hell yeah!
Lined up outside along the streets of Portland, fans stood in the winter rain well before the 6:30 “doors”. I arrived at 4:30, and I think that both the VIP and the “civilian” lines were each a block long. So, two hours in the rain. Yeah, that’s what we do in Portland for a rock show. The crowd was an eclectic mix of people from all ages and all walks of life. I spoke with several families, a few of which had come to see Skillet for their fourth time or more! In fact, during Skillet’s set, lead singer, John Cooper surveyed the audience pointing out several young fans and asking them their ages. A young lady stated that she was 12, and this was her fifth time seeing Skillet. Another young man, age 9, said that this was his third time. Raised on Rock and Roll, parenting done right.
First on stage was Devour The Day. It’s not often that I see a venue nearly full before the headliner hits the stage, but the sold-out Crystal was starting to feel claustrophobic before the first note was played. Devour The Day played a heavy set, and when the crowd jumped, I could feel the hardwood floor “roll” like a wave through the venue. I guess that’s what a mechanical floor feels like. Devour The Day played seven songs, closing their set with “Respect”.
The Sick Puppies have had some lineup changes over the years, with Emma Anzai being the last remaining original member. Mark Goodwin, drummer since 2003, and relative newcomer Bryan Scott fill out the “sick” trio. Bryan looked right at home at the mic, and although he sounds quite different than former lead singer Shimon Moore, I felt like I could hear a bit more range in his voice. What really makes the Sick Puppies so incredibly SICK though is bass player and former guitarist Emma Anzai. She completely dominated the bass guitar. Like, totally nuclear. I’d easily put her in the same category as Cliff Burton, Dave Ellefson, or Les Claypool. Call me a liar if you wish, but go to a show. Watch her shred, and you’ll understand where I’m coming from. The Sick Puppies played a strong 10-song set which included old favorites, “Odd One” and “You’re Going Down”. “Black and Blue”, a hard hitting jam off their 2016 album titled Fury, totally blew the walls off the Crystal. I was exhausted before Skillet even took the stage.
When Skillet took the stage, that mechanical dance floor I mentioned earlier came alive. Although my feet were both firmly planted on the hardwood, the undulating of the floor beneath my feet had me swaying like a sorority sister on bid night. “Feel Invincible” was a powerful way to open and that momentum carried through until the house lights came back on. Skillet, made up of husband and wife John and Korey Cooper, Jen Ledger, and Seth Morrison have been touring the world promoting their most recent album, “Unleashed”. Monday night, they played five tracks from the new album, which speaks to the strength of the music and the fact that this band is not afraid to bring it to the stage. Throughout the evening, lead singer John Cooper spoke to the crowd about his faith, his respect for our service men and women, and his passion for gaming. He mentioned a time when a certain TV network used to play music videos and how he would wait hours and hours for a single Metallica video, or for Saturday night and the Headbanger’s Ball. The nodding heads and cheers from the audience once again proving that we are all united in music. In THIS music. The setlist consisted mostly of heavy and hard hitting songs, but when “Stars” was played, it had a palpable effect on me. Through that music, being there with my people, I felt unburdened. I felt greater than myself.
Skillet is touring this album through August, and they just announced a tour with Korn, so you have tons of chances to get out and see them. If the stars align, I’ll be seeing them again this tour.
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Words and photography by RockRevolt Photojournalist, Terry L. White
