Critic's evaluation
Although the temperature was hovering between 33 and 32ºC, the afternoon of November 8th had a friendly atmosphere in the city of São Paulo in the middle of the week. That day, the streets went about their routine. Busy, dusty, polluted, smoky and full of all kinds of passers-by.
A different movement, however, could be seen around the Barra Funda metro station. Alongside the normal traffic of people coming and going between Uninove and the terminal, the sidewalks nearby were covered in a blackish hue. And in fact, it gave an unusual connotation to the everyday life of that urban setting.
A linear queue, stretching from Rua Tagipurú to Avenida Francisco Matarazzo, was an eye-catching volume of pedestrians for a Wednesday evening. It was like a trail of ants heading for the anthill. And the central point was Espaço Unimed, the venue where, in a few hours' time, Alter Bridge would be staged for the second time in São Paulo.
The curious thing was to notice that the outside of the concert hall exuded a contagious passivity from the parallel conversations which, surprisingly, were not broken up by the echoes of the street vendors. After all, at the time, you could count on your fingers the number of traders offering some kind of souvenir from the event.
Inside Espaço Unimed, at 8pm, the dance floors were already densely packed. In fact, at that point, many of the paying fans opted for the strategy of sitting down in an attempt to secure their square meter, leaving even fewer free spaces for circulation.
At 8:25 p.m., those who had been sitting down got up, opening up a comfortable space and allowing the audience, in general, to walk a few steps closer to the stage. Shortly afterwards, the security measures and the presentation of the house were broadcast on the screens at a reasonable volume, suddenly energizing the audience, who were suddenly on alert as if the show was going to start at that moment.
The drums and guitars playing at that moment could have been a joyful distraction, had it not been for the fact that the stage was still dark, the volume of the ambient music and the intensity of the side conversations. In the meantime, the more time passed, the more curious eyes were directed towards the stage.
At 8:46 p.m., whatever buzz there was in the stage curtains caused a sudden commotion. Minutes later, the big screens went out, keeping only the central white light on. At this point, only the front of the stage was illuminated, giving the impression of an almost mythological adoration of the figures who were yet to take the stage.
It was at the last second before the 8p.m. to 9p.m. changeover, with frightening punctuality, that the stage lit up in a mystical shade of blue. This was followed by a roar of clapping and shrieking as the band positioned themselves on the stage and introduced Silver Tongue, kicking off Alter Bridge's performance. During the performance of the track, full of pressure, the audience sang the chorus in chorus and was frantically divided between hysterical screams and looks of pure admiration. Taking advantage of the situation and without the slightest effort, Myles Kennedy managed to get the crowd clapping during the last repetition of the chorus.
Addicted To Pain, received with screams, had its chorus sung energetically by the audience, who raised their horned hands as high as possible, always firmly and rigidly. Clapping was used again, but this time during the bridge, which was followed by a guitar solo that left the audience in a state of almost numb ecstasy.
With no time to let the audience catch their breath, Ghost Of Days Gone By also arrived with a good reception and the rhythmic clapping of the audience, taking the form of the rhythmic cadence of the melodic introduction. During the song, part of the audience was lost in sentimental delirium due to the flirtatious harmony with the melodrama that exuded from the performance.
"Olá São Paulo! Wow, what the fuck? This is incredible, thank you so much!", said Kennedy amidst surprised and moved laughter before announcing that Sin After Sin would be the next song to be introduced, which was then watched with looks of pure, almost ultra-romantic admiration.
After an improvised introduction by Kennedy in blues mode, the audience went into a frenzy of crying and excitement, knowing that this was an opener for Broken Wings. When the first real chords of the song began to play, what had been a promise of tears became a reality. The entire Espaço Unimed was filled with tears, not only from the melody and interpretation of the song, but also from the emotion that transcended from each individual present. At Kennedy's command with his "sing it!", the audience sang the chorus in unison, while the singer seemed to move in such a way as to be conducting an orchestra. That's how the performance of Broken Wings felt like a real opera, and therefore the first great highlight of the show.
After Burn It Down, sung surprisingly by Mark Tremonti, and the explosive Cry Of Achilles, which had the audience as one pulsating body in its frenzied leaps during the opening instrumental, the stage was left with only soft lighting at the front.
The light purposely only illuminated the bench, Kennedy and the guitar. Watch Over You, in an intimate way, began with the ability to bring the youngest to tears. There was no distinction between sex, origin or age. The water flowed freely down the cheeks of those present. No wonder that, in an emotional chorus, the audience sang the entire song along with Kennedy in an almost spiritual synchrony.
Following the same path and without letting the crowd recover, Tremonti sat down next to Kennedy and together they played an acoustic version of In Loving Memory. Without shame, embarrassment or shyness. With this backdrop, the audience felt free to express all the nostalgia and possible suffering that lay in the confines of their unconscious in tears moved by that moment.
With a bluesy introduction, Kennedy positioned himself at the front of the stage and launched into Blackbird, the track considered to be Alter Bridge's anthem. Sung in chorus and sharing space with the infinity of cell phone cameras strategically positioned in an eagerness to capture the best moment of the performance, whether by photo or video, it took those present into a numb delirium. With the chorus sung in unison by singer and audience, the final instrumental of the song was echoed by whistles from the audience, which reverberated throughout the room.
Another moment worth highlighting came just after the brutal performance of Come To Life, a track heard by a silent audience, as if in a religious sect. "I don't even know if I remember this" said Kennedy awkwardly, while, at the request of someone standing near the railing of the premium track, he introduced Lover, initially accompanied only by his guitar. It was in the chorus that the other musicians entered, creating a densely dramatic and unexpected atmosphere. "It's a shit show" said Kennedy in reference to the somewhat clumsy performance.
Pawns & Kings followed until Isolation came on stage with the audience screaming and chanting loudly during the chorus. However, what could be heard most was the hoarseness of those present trying to pronounce the words somehow. Even without a voice, the audience made their commitment count.
It was during Metallingus, however, that the peak of band-public interaction occurred. After introducing drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall as they performed the song's introductory melody, followed by an audience that ventured into lethargic jumps, but with obvious adrenaline in their eyes, Kennedy took the audience for himself. With his power of influence, the singer made each section of the audience shout at his command individually by moving their arms. When the track was duly resumed, the audience seemed invigorated to deliver even more intense participation from then on.
As the stage lights went out and the members left the stage, the audience, already saddened, came to terms with the fact that the encore was imminent. It was then, amid the frantic requests for the musicians to return to the stage, that Marshall returned, holding the Brazilian flag to his chest, and Tremonti played the introduction to Open Your Eyes, thus beginning the first track of the encore. The audience took an active part in the singing and waltzes softened by the melodramatic melody. The most striking point of this particular performance came in the vocal chorus performed a cappella by the audience, followed by Kennedy's visceral interpretation of the remaining verses.
After a bluesy introductory solo, Kennedy gave birth to Rise Today, the finale. Without any request, the audience clapped along throughout the initial instrumental. As they caught their breath, Kennedy urged the audience to sing part of the chorus a cappella while clapping rhythmically. It was at 10:54 p.m., with the speakers playing My Way, that Alter Bridge's second show in São Paulo, and the first of the South American leg of the Pawns & Kings World Tour, came to an end.
Punctual, precise, explosive. Intense. Alter Bridge's show was marked by nostalgic and sentimental melodies contrasting with the raw. The perfect blend of old and new in a clear evolution of composition and maturity as a band and as a collective.
The synergy between the musicians was evident, even if there was no direct interaction between them. Phillips, even in moments of insanity, delivered his phrases with an almost waltzing smoothness. Marshall, on the other hand, always played his parts with a bad boy look. Tremonti, on the other hand, was a mixture of empathy and intensity. Kennedy, finally, was the perfect combination of charisma with shyness and glowing gratitude for the warm reception the group received.
On the part of the audience, the performance was like a worship service. It's true that the interactions were standard, with their clapping, hands raised in the air, arms waving and choruses. Still, the audience's intensity, liveliness and sense of satisfaction in attending an Alter Bridge show was remarkable.
In the midst of their 17-song setlist and its duration of 1h54, despite not having included any of The Last Hero or Walk The Sky songs, the band gave a gift to the São Paulo public and, above all, to the Brazilian audience. After all, in their 19-year history, the group has built up a strong fan base in the country, but they have only been able to see them on two occasions.
Specifically, unlike the performance during São Paulo Trip, this show, like Steel Panther a few weeks earlier, served as Alter Bridge's first time in the country as a headliner. And the achievement was not to be underestimated.
With several high points, including performances of songs such as Broken Wings, Watch Over You, In Loving Memory, Blackbird and the sudden improvisation of Lover, the group managed to excite, energize, infect and, at the same time, thrill everyone in attendance with a well-equalized sound, strong and consistent vocals and instrumentals.
And so, the first performance of the South American leg of the Pawns & Kings World Tour left the São Paulo audience, on that night of November 8, with a taste for more. Even so, the performance served as a dulling of the Brazilian audience's longing and need for Alter Bridge. It was like feeling nostalgic with a tight hug followed by a farewell accompanied by a simple but hopeful 'see you later'.
