30
There are just some bands that a person has to see whenever there is an opportunity, plain and simple. I made the mistake of not going to a concert in 1993, citing that I would see them next time, well, there was no next time. Since that moment in history, I rarely miss the shows of bands that are meaningful to me. One of the bands that I have on my must-see list is (Hed) P.E., I am hoping they are on your list too. My youngest spawn asked me a while ago how many time I have seen (Hed) P.E. and I surprised myself when I counted the shows I had attended.
July 28th,2019 marked my 11th time experiencing the musical phenomena that is (Hed)P.E. and truth be told they get more phenomenal every time I see them. I honestly believe that one of the reasons I fancy this band’s live performances as much as I do is the connection lead vocalist Jahred Gomes and his bandmates seem to have with their fans. The show at The Cavalier Theatre in La Crosse Wisconsin that beautiful late July night was no exception. I was lucky enough to watch a large portion of the show from the side stage which means I got to watch the crowd along with enjoying the energy of the band. Frontman Jahred talked to the almost packed Cavalier Theatre like every single person in attendance was his bestie. Jahred himself has said many times that “Our mission is to go forward with our music and shine a light in the darkness. We’ve cultivated a worldwide underground following, inspiring revolution, and reflection every step of the way.”
As I said, I was allowed to watch the show from the stage, so I was in a position to watch the crowd. I can honestly tell you that nothing fills my soul with joie de vivre than watching fans react as their favorite band plays their favorite song live. (Hed)P.E always mixes up their set, injecting a little bit of each of their ten plus albums onto each night’s show. The crowd showed familiarity with some of the band’s new tracks, but nothing like when the familiar distorted guitar hook of ‘Renegade’ flooded the air. At that moment, there were no strangers in that venue, just one big happy family of Metalheads, united by music. The same can be said about the crowd reaction when Jahred started singing the intro to (Hed)P.E’s mega-hit ‘Bartender’. Although the atmosphere in the venue turned to a more jubilant vibe as fans sang along at the top of their lungs.
https://youtu.be/KipPBRGJc5I
I do want to also mention that another endearing quality I admire about this band is how supportive they are to up and coming bands. The band always has a local band open for them. La Crosse based three-piece Hard Rock ensemble Mad Mode had the honor of starting the night off. The 3 very seasoned musicians proved that there is an abundant amount of musical talent in the Mid-West.
(Hed)P.E will be hitting the road again in early October, so I urge you to plan accordingly and get tickets for a show or two immediately. I can promise you that even if you are not familiar with this band, you don’t want to miss a chance to see them live. You may walk into a venue as a stranger to (Hed)P.E and their music but you will leave that venue after the show part of a noble and vast (Hed)P.E Familia.
SKULLGURL METALCHICK