Avenged Sevenfold may be on the road with Metallica on their massive stadium tour, but that hasn’t stopped them from sprinkling in a bunch of headlining dates to keep themselves busy on Metallica’s off days. This past Friday night found A7X at Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre with A Day to Remember and Ho99o9 for, according to front man M. Shadows, their largest Bay Area headlining show to date.
The show kicked off in the blazing late afternoon sun with a ripping set by hardcore band Ho99o9. The trio made up of a drummer, a singer, and a DJ/singer was met with a combination of shock and bemusement, but will no doubt be remembered.
Next up, A Day To Remember which took the stage as the sun finally set behind the general admission lawn and launched into “All I Want.” The crowd was surprisingly receptive and on their feet from the front row to the lawn, even as vocalist Jeremy McKinnon channeled what appeared to be agitation into a ferocious performance.
With the positive response to ADTR’s set, one might have expected the crowd to thin out, but that was certainly not the case and the amphitheater appeared even fuller as A7X finally took the stage. Given the nature of these one-off shows, one might have also expected fairly meager production. Indeed, at first glance there were only some LED screens and a tiny drum raiser. But when Synyster Gates took center stage for “The Stage,” it all lit up in a way that thoughtfully complimented the band’s performance. But that wasn’t all … not by a long shot … flames generously belched out from under the screens throughout the entire set, thankfully warming the front rows as the night chilled.
The setlist was long and comprehensive, spending ample time on 2016’s The Stage without compromising the rest of the catalog. In fact, if you are a hardcore Avenged Sevenfold fan, you were much better off catching one of these headliners than a supporting slot with Metallica (as generous as it may be). For the long-time fans of drummer Brooks Wackerman, there was even a drum solo that showcased his exceptional skills … something you’d never see during his previous stint with Bad Religion.
With fixed seats that run all the way up to the stage, the Shoreline always seems like an odd venue for shows like this where the fans like to stay moving throughout the set. This said, the venue leaves a lot of room for the up close and personal which A7X took full advantage of with every member of the band (except Brooks) strolling up the aisles and getting close with the fans.
All-in-all, what was an unexpected line-up at what one would assume to be an imperfect venue for the bands involved, oddly worked perfectly. And for its part, the crowd turned out to support all of the bands, something unusual in these days of fickle concert goers.
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
A DAY TO REMEMBER
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
A Day To Remember
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
Ho99o9
SETLIST
The Stage
Afterlife
Hail to the King
Paradigm
Buried Alive
So Far Away
Nightmare
God Damn
Drum Solo
Almost Easy
Sunny Disposition
Warmness on the Soul (Instrumental)
Planets
Acid Rain
ENCORE
Bat Country
A Little Piece of Heaven
Unholy Confessions
