SHOW REVIEW: Alice in Chains

Alice In Chains

One of rock’s finest, Alice in Chains, made their only New England appearance of 2015 at Foxwoods Casino, a 4,000 seat theater on Friday August 14^th. Opened in 2008, the Theater has an old school style, with a touch of modern and there is not a bad seat in the house. With plenty of concession stands serving a wide variety of adult beverages, the only downfall here is getting in. With only a couple doors to enter through, plan to get there early or you risk missing some of the show. Fortunately, I got through the door with just enough time to navigate the short beer line with 5 minutes to spare before show time. On this evening there was no opener; just and evening with Alice in Chains.

For those not familiar with AIC’s history, we are lucky to have them here in 2015. Formed in 1987 as part of the Seattle “Grunge” movement the band consisted of drummer; Sean Kinney, bassist; Mike Starr, vocalist; Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell; principle songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist. The band would combine the moodiness of the grunge movement along with elements of heavy metal, rounded out with Staley’s lead vocals and Cantrell’s backups being a prominent piece of their sound. This created their signature sound, thus separating them from the rest of Seattle’s bands.

In 1993, Starr would leave the band being replaced by Ozzy Osbourne bassist, Mike Inez. But what looked to be the dagger into the heart of the band was the death of Layne Staley in 2002 due to a heroine/cocaine overdose. Four years later, they would resurface. In March of 2006, the surviving members would perform a show honoring fellow Seattle musicians Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Taking the stage with guest vocalist Phil Anselmo, a spark would set a fire when Comes with the Fall vocalist William DuVall would take on the lead for Rooster. This would prompt a short run of U.S. dates and appearances at European festivals (I was fortunate to be at one of those shows at Donnington Castle’s Download Festival). This would signify a new beginning and new music. In 2009 with DuVall on lead vocals they would release one of my favorite AIC albums Black Gives Way to Blue. This would be followed by their latest, 2013’s The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here and with that they would take the stage at Foxwoods Grand Theater winding down a two year touring cycle.

Since the first time I saw Alice in Chains in 2006 (I know I’m way behind the curve here) I was hooked. If they have a tour anywhere in my general vicinity I will get to it. I would put them in my top 5 bands not to miss on tour. DuVall does more than justice to the classic’s that shot them to stardom and has added two amazing records to their catalog. Whether it’s 1990’s “Man in the Box” or 2013’s “Hollow,” it is true Alice in Chains. As they made their way through a nearly 2 hour, 19 song set, complete with an array of psychedelic visuals, I was blown away by their tight sound. This is one of my top shows of 2015 without a doubt. If you have any reservation about buying a ticket to the DuVall fronted band, throw it out the window. If you love old school AIC you will love seeing them today, with Cantrell and DuVall trading off vocals just like the days of Staley and Cantrell, if you close your eyes you would swear it is Layne. That being said William adds his own uniqueness to their new material while staying true to their signature sound. This is still 100% Alice in Chains. And two dollars from all presold tickets for the tour was contributed to the Stefan Dane-Ankle memorial fund, a 19 year-old fan who recently passed away from leukemia.

If Alice in Chains are passing anywhere near your general vicinity this is a show that must not be missed and be sure to check out their newest release The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here or my favorite Black Gives Way to Blue and keep up with all things AIC at http://www.aliceinchains.com/.