Alter Bridge at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD – February 4, 2023
Alter Bridge brought the heat on a very chilly Saturday at the sold-out Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD. The tour, promoting their latest album Pawns & Kings, featured two incredible opening acts including Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH, and Red. On a personal note, aside from Alter Bridge, Red was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to miss this tour, being a huge fan of the band. In fact, no one should miss this run.
Red
Red wasted no time the minute they set foot on the stage, kicking off with “Death of Me.” As always, they brought their A-game, wowing the fans both long-time, and especially new ones. After seeing them countless times in the last ten years, it’s safe to say Red never lost their touch when it comes to being on stage, especially when they’re off-stage. Watching front-man Mike Barnes promptly walk over to fans the minute their set ended to take photos with them is just one of the many reasons why Red is such an incredible band, and why no one should miss seeing this band, period.
Mammoth WVH
As for Mammoth WVH, they continued to carry the energy from Red, as they played an impressive set with songs from their debut album, Mammoth WVH, released in June 2021. This tour marks a bit of a reunion with Wolfgang and Alter Bridge’s Mark Tremonti, as Wolfgang used to be the bassist in Tremonti’s solo band. It was clear why Mammoth joined the Pawns & Kings run, with their highly impressive stage presence, and the way they interacted with the crowd. Mammoth WVH is an up-and-coming band you should definitely see, if not on this tour, then on their upcoming tour with Metallica starting in April.
Alter Bridge
When one listens to Alter Bridge, one must see Alter Bridge live. They’re absolutely mesmerizing to watch, always putting on a tight set. Alter Bridge immediately kicked off their set with “Silver Tongue” from their 2022 album, Pawns & Kings. The show in Silver Spring was particularly unique, seeing that at the encore, the legendary Paul Reed Smith joined the band on stage to play “Rise Today.” No big deal or anything.
There are two legs of the Pawns & Kings tour, with this one featuring Red will end on February 18 in Chicago. The next run with Mammoth WVH and Pistols at Dawn will start up March 10 in Quapaw, OK. My recommendation? Run, don’t walk, to get your tickets. You do not want to miss either of these tours.
If you missed it, check out the interview we did with guitarist Mark Tremonti back in October, just before their new album was released!