Alter Bridge and Nonpoint at The Wiltern

Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge, Nonpoint, The Last Hero Tour, The Wiltern, February 19, 2017

The almighty Alter Bridge made their way to the City Of Angels, unveiling an exhilarating show to a sold out crowd at The Wiltern Theater in a Sunday night. In town for their cross country Last Hero Tour, Alter Bridge performed songs for their various albums of a grand and brilliant career – this of course would include their recent The Last Hero magnum opus. Lead vocalist / guitarist Myles Kennedy had been spending a good amount of time in Slash’s band, and now with Guns N’ Roses’ massive touring schedule, it was time to revisit the hard rocking tapestries of Alter Bridge.

Kennedy cemented the fact that he is one of the most amazing vocalists on the planet, enveloping The Wiltern auditorium with his powerhouse voice and thrilling guitar playing. And it was tremendously impressive to see Mark Tremonti back in action, searing the air with his vibrant guitar virtuosity. Noted for his exquisite work his in groundbreaking Creed, Tremonti excels within the vast soundscapes his current band rapturous generates. Bassist Brian Thompson and drummer Scott Phillips are also ex-Creed participants, making for a striking rhythm section in the dynamic Alter Bridge battalion.

Opening with the epic refrains of The Writing On The Wall from The Last Hero, Alter Bridge unleashed a wildly explosive set of sonic gems, with their fans singing along to each and every song. Selections such as Come To Life, Ghost Of Days Gone By, and Cry Of Achilles demonstrated the pure passion Alter Bridge has not only for their music, but for the fans as well. Even with an acoustic number such as Watch Over You, Alter Bridge is a wondrously effect force that knows how to deliver a kick ass rock and roll extravaganza!

Nonpoint

In direct support for the entire tour was the glorious Nonpoint, now celebrating 20 hard rocking years of existence. And what perfect tour mates Nonpoint turned out to be for Alter Bridge, veterans of the national music scene delivering the good with more ardor and conviction than ever before. Kicking off their set with the striking Pins And Needles for their 2014 studio album The Return, Nonpoint proceeded on with a gripping set of tunes that were nothing short of mesmerizing. In town to promote The Poison Red – their 9th standout studio entreaty – Nonpoint won over the gathered masses with the a rock solid performances of Divided… Conquer Them and My Last Dying Breath from their latest and greatest. Another highlight of their set was a dark and chilling rendition of the Phil Collins classic In The Air Tonight.  And those wanting to hear the classics from Nonpoint were treated to towering anthems such as What A Day, Alive and Kicking, and Bullet With A Name.

The Nonpoint manifesto of dynamic groove metal was conveyed with skilled precision by longtime members Elias Soriano on lead vocals and Robb Rivera on drums – combined with the expert musicianship of newer converts Rasheed Thomas on rhythm guitar, Adam Woloszyn on bass, and B.C. Kochmit (formerly of the scandalously underrated Switched) on lead guitar. It was clear that Nonpoint had a ton of fans in the crowd, and could have easily headlined The Wiltern on their own. But combining the one-two punch of Nonpoint and Alter Bridge in one venue was pure genius, and both bands presented a show that will be fervently remembered by all Wiltern attendees for the rock and roll ages ahead!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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