Photo Credit: Melinda Oswandel
Legendary Virginia earth-rockers Clutch brought their one-of-a-kind rock n’ roll goodness to Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, on Thursday, May 18th, with special guests Amigo the Devil and Nate Bergman. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in time to see Washington DC singer-songwriter Nate Bergman from the band Lionize, but I hope to catch him next time he’s in town. American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player Amigo the Devil was next with his unique mix of rock, folk, country, and metal. Due to the dark subject matter, his music has been known to be called “dark folk” or “murderfolk.” A captivating performance and my first time seeing him and his band live.
Amigo The Devil
When the almighty Clutch took the stage, it was a packed house setting the night’s tone with their classic “Impetus.” Their whole set was a perfect mix of classic tracks and crowd favorites, with some deep cuts and new tracks mixed in. The energy level was on fire both on stage and in the crowd, with singalongs galore. The stage was donning three panels covered with colorful neon lights for the first time, which was an excellent addition, especially for us photographers. This show was definitely a great way to end this leg of their “No Stars Above” tour, which was named after one of the “Nosferatu Madre” lyrics off of their latest stellar album, last year’s “Sunrise on Slaughter Beach.”
It was even a young fan’s first concert, and frontman Neil Fallon certainly took notice, handing him one of the printed setlists near the show’s end. Chris and Krystal Ross of Red Bank, NJ brought their 11-year-old son, Zach who everyone made sure was able to make his way to being directly behind the barricade stage left. I noticed he was all smiles throughout the night. To me, those are the kind of parents who are raising their kids right to love the power of music starting at a young age.
Clutch
Review and Photos by Metal Insider’s contributing photographer Melinda Oswandel.
