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Photos & Story by: Kimberly Kanuck
Bethlehem, PA rockers were fortunate enough to have two powerful hard rock bands kick off their US 23-city tour at Wind Creek Event Center on September 8th, 2023. Three Days Grace and Chevelle, along with special guest Loathe, are hitting stages through mid-October. According to my research and now firsthand experience, both Chevelle and Three Days Grace will perform their classic fan favorites. Chevelle is still promoting their 2021 album, Niratias. And they are working on their 10th studio album. Three Days Grace will be promoting their 2022 album, Explosions. Loathe is opening and performing songs from their 2020 album, I Let It In and It Took Everything.
It was a sold out show last night and the event center was packed! The energy was high when Chevelle took the stage and they did not disappoint their loyal fans. They kicked off strong with heavy hitters like “Verruckt,” “An Island,” and “Door to Door Cannibals.”
Lead singer Peter Loeffler even acknowledged the energy in the crowd! He asked to turn the lights onto the crowd. Once he saw the audience, Loeffler said, “we’re just warming up!” And the crowd screamed! And they went into “Self Destructor.” The crowd really seemed engaged with “Face to the Floor.” They went into “Pistol Star,” which the crowd appreciated and Loeffler’s vocals were very strong. Loeffler said they wanted to play an old song about claustrophobia, “The Clincher.” It was evident that the crowd was really feeling this song! The excitement continued with “Forfeit.” Everyone was singing along saying, “I want to fight!” They went right into “Send the Pain Below” and everyone continued singing along. Then they went “way back to 2002” per Loeffler and started more of a ballad-type version of “The Red.” And no surprise, fans loved this classic Chevelle hit. They played more hits like “Comfortable Liar.” They even brought up a fan who was holding a sign that it was their birthday! That was a nice touch and I’m sure a special moment for that fan! When “I Get It” started, fans were singing along once again. They finally wrapped with a strong performance of “Mars Simula.” Overall it was a very strong performance by Chevelle!
Around 9:45 pm, Three Days Grace hit the stage. The crowd went wild screaming and Matt Walst’s vocals sounded amazing! The went right into their mega hits like “So Called Life,” “Animal I Have Become,” and “I Am Machine.” After those three bangers, Walst said, “I need a f**king drink!” And he shared that every time they come to PA, we make them feel at home. They proceeded to perform “Home.” After that song, their fans started chanting, “Three Days Grace, Three Days Grace…” Walst commented on the beautiful night and said, “let’s f**cking party!” They went into “The Good Life” and “Pain.” Then Walst took a minute to talk about some words he lives by every day. And he said that no matter what obstacles we face, we need to keep moving and “climb that mountain.” Then they started performing “The Mountain.” Walst mentioned that they haven’t been here in Bethlehem in 10 years and said, “let’s party!”And he wanted to “see this place go fucking crazy. It’s a f**king rock concert, let’s f**k this place up!” And they went right into the hit “Painkiller.” They slowed it down a bit for “World So Cold” and everyone sang along. The crowd was waving their cell phones with flashlights on back and forth. Next they invited up two lucky fans to sing the next song. A girl from FL and another from NJ were able to sing and dance with the band and they knew all the words to “Just Like You.” Then Walst said the next song was about having “one last chance to talk to the people we love.” And if you’re missing people in heaven, then this is the song “Lifetime.” They went right into fan favorite and hit song “I Hate Everything About You.” And the crowd went wild! They start chanting again, “Three Days Grace, Three Days Grace…”. The band loved the energy and Walst said they’ll “meet us all in the casino later.” Then Walst talked about never giving up. He mentioned that “mental health is so important now.” And he said that “if you’re going through some sh*t in your mind, reach out to someone” before it’s too late. They kicked off their hit “It’s Never Too Late.” And Walst said, “remember that Bethlehem, we f**king love you!” He asked, “Do you want more?” Then he said, “repeat after me, riot, riot, riot…” And they went into their final song of the evening, “Riot.” And their fans loved every minute of it! It was an outstanding rocking and engaging performance throughout the entire show!
Overall it was an amazing show. These two bands have quite the loyal following. The energy never died down. And as I walked out of the building, everyone was commenting that it was such a great show and an awesome night! I would highly recommend catching this tour, if possible. I’d like to thank The Valley Ledger and Wind Creek Event Center for allowing me to review this show and experiencing these amazing performances!
For more tour info and dates:
For more exciting shows at Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA:
https://www.windcreekeventcenter.com
