I first saw Candlebox live 26 years ago, right after the release of their sophomore album, “Lucy.” They were at the peak of their popularity, and I fangirled hard. The next time I saw them was in 2018, and I had to be objective because I was writing a review. I had a hard time taking notes, though, because I was enjoying the show so much! I got to see them again Tuesday night, and once more I was thrilled by their performance.
Candlebox opened with the high-energy tune, “Arrow,”and closed with the mega-hit, “You,” both from their best-selling debut album, “Candlebox.” In between, they played fan favorites from all their other albums. They also introduced three songs from their just-released “Wolves" album, including my personal favorite, “All Downhill from Here.”
Unlike some veteran vocalists I've seen in the past few years, frontman Kevin Martin's distinctive voice was still powerful, even in the upper range. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him as continuously interacted with the audience during the 14-song set.
The rest of the band, which consists of Brian Quinn and Island Styles on guitars, Adam Kury on bass, and BJ Kerwin on drums, brought their A-games to the live-music-starved crowd. They had the freedom to jam on a few of the songs, resulting in fresh versions of their well-loved hits. I especially loved that they worked a few bars of a Duran Duran mega hit into “Sweet Summertime.”
The night ended with one of Kevin Martin's all-time favorite songs, “Far Behind.” The crowd (myself included) went wild, cheering and singing loudly to the iconic 90s power ballad. It was a great way to end a killer performance.
Candlebox will be on tour with The Dead Deads through October 24th, continuing with other supporting acts through spring 2022.
Candlebox tour link: https://www.candleboxrocks.com/tour/
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