Halestorm
Santander Arena
Reading, PA
April 1, 2016
On April 1st, I had the opportunity to catch Halestorm at The Reading Eagle Theater in Reading, PA. It was certainly one hell of a night, and Halestorm really brought the storm to the stage.
Lita Ford
The fans pressed their bodies against the barricade, chattering excitedly as the crew began to set up for Rock n Roll legend and formerly of The Runaways, Lita Ford. It wasn’t too long before Lita made her appearance on the stage and immediately kicked off her set setlist consisting of “Gotta Let Go,” “Larger Than Life,” a kick ass cover of Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back,” and “Blueberry.” The crowd sang along and threw their horns in the air as Lita continued her set with “Living Like a Runaway,” “Can’t Catch Me,” and The Runaways’ hit, “Cherry Bomb”. After the killer drum solo by Bobby Rock, they finished their set with “Close My Eyes Forever” and “Kiss Me Deadly.”
Halestorm
It felt like an eternity waiting for the crew to finish setting up the stage for Halestorm’s arrival and surely enough, the crowd roared with excitement as the overhead lights dimmed down. The first to appear was drummer (and birthday boy), Arejay Hale, sporting a leather jacket with the words “INTO THE WILD LIFE” spray painted on the back. He immediately kicked off the set, cuing the arrival of Lzzy Hale (vocals, guitars), Joe Hottinger (lead guitars), and Josh Smith (bass), with the quick and heavy drumbeats to “Sick Individual,” and they continued with “Love Bites (So Do I),” “Apocalyptic,” and “Scream.” Halestorm slowed their set down with “I Am the Fire,” and quickened the pace again with “It’s Not You,” “Mz. Hyde,” “Rock Show,” and a killer performance of “Takes My Life,” a song they haven’t played since 2010. After “I Like It Heavy,” “She Won’t Mind,” and “Amen,” Halestorm slowed the set down with “Dear Daughter” and “Familiar Taste of Poison,” then Arejay performed his highly energetic drum solo and the crowd cheered as he rapidly banged on his drums. The band then kept the party rolling with “Mayhem,” “I Get Off,” ending the night on an explosive with “Freak Like Me,” “Here’s to Us,” and “I Miss the Misery.”
All in all, this was one of the most incredible shows I have witnessed in a really long time and the bands brought their game. Be sure to check out all of their future tour dates. They put on a show you do not want to miss!
