On a chilly Sunday night in the City of Angels, Theory of a Deadman, Skillet, and Saint Asonia joined forces and collectively blew the roof off the iconic Wiltern Theater on their final stop of the 2023 Rock Resurrection Tour. While different in many respects, each band brought their own unique brand to the stage and wowed the near-capacity crowd for three full hours of mind-blowing rock and roll mayhem. Needless to say, this one lived up to all the hype and ended up being one of my favorite live shows this year.
Kicking off Sunday night’s show was a super-group out of Toronto called Saint Asonia. Featuring ex-Three Days Grace singer Adam Gontier and former Staind guitarist Mike Mushok, with Cale Gontier on bass and Cody Watkins on drums, the quartet immediately kicked it in to over drive with a short but powerful set for the 30 minutes they had on stage. Highlights were a few Three Days Grace covers, “Never Too Late” and “I Hate Everything About You,” along with my favorite of the evening, “Let Me Live My Life.” A solid set for sure and a band I definitely want to dig into more in the weeks ahead.
Next up was Skillet, and I was pumped to catch these cats live for the very first time. Husband and wife duo John Cooper (bass) and Korey Cooper (rhythm guitar) were joined on stage by powerhouse Jen Ledger (drums) and Seth Morrison (lead guitar) for a 14-song set that highlighted in spades why this band is so amazing.
From the moment they launched into “Feel Invincible,” it was evident that this band loved playing together as each had smiles from ear to ear from the get-go. Their stage presence was incredible and it oozed out in songs like “Comatose” and “Monster.” Final song, “The Resistance” was by far the most powerful of the set, and by that time had everyone screaming along with fists in the air as their time came crashing to an end. Can’t wait to see Skillet again soon—they were 100% the real deal.
Finally, it was time for the headliner of the evening, Theory of a Deadman. Similar to Saint Asonia, they are another band from north of the border and one I had yet to see live. Launching into their latest single, “Dinosaur,” Tyler Connolly took immediate control of the crowd with his amazing vocal range, coupled with his dynamic guitar skills. Dave Brenner had his back on rhythm guitar and Dean Back managed the chunky baselines while Joey Dandeneau was roosted high atop the stage behind his sick drum kit.
Over the next hour, we heard 14 killer songs including “Lowlife,” “Rx (Medicate),” and a wicked cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” The set wrapped up with “Bad Girlfriend” which sealed the deal on what ended up being one incredible night of rock and roll by three truly incredible bands.
SKILLET
SAINT ANSONIA
