The Willowz at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

As much as I like the Toadies, I was excited about their show at Stubb’s more because of the openers, The Willowz. I walked into Stubb’s as The Willowz were beginning their set up. The crowd seemed a lot more casual than most shows that I go to. That’s probably because Toadies are playing here all the time these days. The Willowz came on to some enthusiasm, but not much. The band however, was full of energy and they played just like any good garage rock band should, fast and messy. I loved it. While some of the more impatient members of the crowd started a Toadies chant, I didn’t want Willowz to leave the stage. I definitely want to see them again and I will definitely go and pick up a record or two of theirs.

I’ve never really been a huge Toadies fan. I’ve heard the first album like everyone else but never thought it was as great as some people claim it to be. Toadies came out and opened with one the hits, “I Come from the Water”, which, as expected turned into a huge sing along. The band continued to mix in the hits with cuts from their recent album, but those tracks went by without too much of a reaction from the crowd. The biggest reaction surprisingly wasn’t “Possum Kingdom” but my personal favorite Toadies song, “Tyler”, which was by far the high point of the show. It was over pretty quick, but it was a great show. I did put in Rubberneck for the first time in a long time after the show, so I guess they did their job.

The Toadies at Stubb's - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Dope at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

I had no idea that Black Label Society had the kind of hardcore followers that they do. I walked into Stubb’s to a sea of denim jackets with huge BLS patches enjoying the end of Cycle of Pain’s set.

I only caught the last song or so of Cycle of Pain, but what I saw was awesome. The band’s groove metal sounded great and the audience liked it even more than I did. The keyboard player was unexpected as I had never heard the band before and just went on the assumption that a band called Cycle of Pain wasn’t likely to have keyboard. I really enjoyed the one full song that I heard and I’ll probably look into hearing their debut album.

Dope is a band that I had heard of but never really heard. I have a few friends are huge fans, but I never really got into them, mostly because I never really gave them a chance. Dope’s set was full of energy. I was immediately impressed by the drumming of Angel Bartolotta and spent most of the set watching him. Frontman Edsel Dope also brought a lot of energy to the stage, especially during a cover of N.W.A’s “F**k the Police” which came out of nowhere. I wasn’t really pushed to seeing them headline or listening to studio material, but it was a pretty good show.

Sevendust at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

It seemed to me like Sevendust had a difficult time getting the crowd, mostly because the crowd wanted Black Label immediately. Lead singer Lajon Witherspoon did everything he could to get the crowd going and while it worked temporarily, nothing really stuck. The band was good but not great. They were good at what they did, but I don’t have a particularly strong interest in them.

Just after Sevendust left the stage, a huge Black Label Society banner dropped over the stage and the crowd erupted. Unfortunately for them, there was still a wait until they graced the stage. The sound guy kept them occupied by playing many Pantera songs which almost always ended in a huge sing-along. When the curtain finally lifted, the band wasted no time in starting the show. At the beginning of the show, I found it difficult to concentrate on anything but lead singer/guitarist Zakk Wylde’s massive amp set up, which took up nearly the entire stage. The band fed off of the incredibly high energy of the crowd song after song. The show eventually slowed down for an emotional performance of “In This River”, a tribute to the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrel. Then the band took a break and let Zakk play a long and impressive stand-alone solo. The band sounded great the entire set. It was my first time seeing BLS, although I had seen Zakk play with Ozzy before, and I will definitely be seeing them again.

Black Label Society at Stubb's - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer