Live Review: Alter Bridge in Richmond, Virginia 8/7/23

Photos and review by: Jamie LeBlanc

Lineup: Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Mammoth WVH

Venue: Virginia Credit Union Live, Richmond, VA

Date: August 7, 2023

On a day where the Federal government shut down because of an impending storm, Richmond’s rock scene came out to party! Alter Bridge took their highly anticipated Kings & Pawns tour to Virginia Credit Union Live this Monday on what would be an unforgettable evening. Mammoth WVH opened the show with an impressive 45 minute set! They played songs from their first album and their brand new second album Mammoth II. Even through fans hadn’t been introduced to this new album for long, they were instantly rocking out with the band. Two things that I want to highlight from the show are frontman and guitarist Wolfgang Van Halen’s ability to connect with the crowd through their musicality. I was approached by two fans after their set asking to see the photos of them because of how much fun they were on stage. Of course, they will have to wait for the release of this article to see them :).

Next on the stacked line up was a band that has continued to rock, and innovate themselves through the years, SEVENDUST! The band was greeted by screaming fans and they came on to the stage playing “Face to Face”. If you’ve never been to a Sevendust show, know one thing, this band is here to have FUN. There are not many bands out there today that can rock out as hard as they do while maintaining smiles and good vibes. They played for roughly an hour through the decades of their catalog and even played a number of new songs from their new album Truth Killer.

The sun had gone down, the storm clouds dissipated, and now it was time for Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti and co. to melt the faces off of fans. Alter Bridge is one of those unique bands that have a dedicated frontman, and lead guitarist, that can also interchange on a dime. If there’s one thing that this band excels at more then anything, its their storytelling ability in their lyrics. They remind me a lot of Led Zeppelin in that regard where the music sticks in your ear, but the lyrics stick in your brain. If you haven’t had the chance to see this amazing band live, ask yourself, what are you waiting for?