This past Saturday–April 19th–I was in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Alter Bridge show. I was accompanied by two of my favorite people, my brother Rick and my friend Jesse. I was fortunate enough to make my way through the mob to the front. Two very kind Alter Bridge fans let me squeeze in beside them, right on the barrier. Needless to say, I refused to move for the rest of the evening.

The opening act, a band that hailed from Canada called Monster Truck, was really good. They were a mix of rock and blues. All I could think was “If Led Zeppelin and all the Southern rock bands had a baby, this would be it.” Ha! Seriously, though, their guitarist was super enthusiastic and the band was a lot of fun. They set the tone for the evening–high energy rock & roll–and the fans showed them a ton of respect as they filed off the stage.

When Alter Bridge came out roughly thirty minutes later, the noise was tremendous! They tore straight into “Addicted to Pain” and from that moment, it was a case of nonstop greatness. My favorite thing about it was the fact that the crowd was made up mostly of hardcore Alter Bridge fans, the kind that sing every single word. There is nothing more magical than hearing a crowd of 2000+ belting out “Broken Wings,” “Open Your Eyes,” and “Rise Today.” It was obvious that vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy, guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips were feeding off the audience’s energy and adoration. It is also apparent that the four of them truly love what they do, and that always adds to the experience for the fans. Alter Bridge put on one hell of a show, and Myles stopped to give the fans a heartfelt thanks more than once, saying that if it wasn’t for us, the band wouldn’t be celebrating its ten-year anniversary.

From L to R: bassist Brian Marshall, vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy, and guitarist Mark Tremonti

Myles Kennedy grinning at me during “Rise Today.”

Highlights from the show were “Blackbird,” Myles instructing the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” to Tremonti, who had turned 40 the previous day, and the guitar dual between Myles and Tremonti, which led straight into the final song of the evening, “Rise Today.” A personal highlight was receiving a pick from Myles…that pretty much made my night.

Alter Bridge is easily one of the best bands I’ve ever seen in concert. If you haven’t made it out for a show yet, you should seriously remedy that immediately. I guarantee that you will have the time of your life.