With tours coming back in full force, the music industry is thriving again. And we in the media who have wonderful opportunities to cover these shows have been very excited to be back at it regularly. Personally, I was very excited for this night as I’ve been following Chris Daughtry since his appearance on the fifth season on American Idol. There was no doubt in my mind “The Dearly Beloved Tour” supporting Daughtry‘s 6th studio album was going to be an amazing night.
The Hard Rock Live on Universal Studios property in Orlando, FL has been hosting a ton of great shows over the past few weeks including this one. The area was completely mobbed through City Walk and when I got inside the venue it was just as packed. It looked like a sold out crowd with the amount of people there and everyone was in good spirits. I chatted with the people around me and you can see in their faces how excited everyone was this night. It was great to see the excitement on their faces and when the lights dimmed down for the first performer the crowd was already cheering.
Our opener for the evening was the artist Lyell (real name Alyssa Coco). An artist of provides authenticity, power, rock, and giving no fucks along the way. Providing some powerful vocals alongside Matt Merritt (guitar) and Levi Bennett (drums) they got on stage to kick ass and take names in the process. I hadn’t heard of Lyell until this evening and will say that she absolutely entertained the crowd. Her energy, her personality, and her vocals are fantastic. Matt is excellent guitarist providing some really smooth rock vibes. And Levi is a phenomenal drummer. I’m didn’t find myself getting into her music, but the crowd certainly did. I sense that we’ll see bigger things for her in the future.
Next up was the rock artist Tremonti. The band formed in 2010 when Mark Tremonti, lead guitarist for Alter Bridge wanted to start a solo project. That solo project turned into a full-fledged band and he released his first album All I Was in 2012. Tremonti would work on albums in-between Alter Bridge album cycles and would go on to release four additional studio albums with the most recent being Marching in Time in 2021. Tremonti consists of Mark Tremonti (vocals, lead guitar), Eric Friedman (rhythm guitar), Ryan Bennett (drums), and Tanner Keegan (bass).
The music of Tremonti is exactly what the crowd wanted to hear. Heavier and faster than most Alter Bridge songs, Mark and his band really know how to amp up a crowd and get them moving. They started with “Thrown Further” from their most recent album Marching in Time. The song is heavy and fast and the crowd was loving it and completely getting into it. This is the type of song you need for a rock show. What I truly love about Tremonti though is getting to hear Mark’s vocals. He’s so perfect for hard rock and showing the crowd his singing chops that night. They followed up with “If Not For You”, but stopped 2 minutes into the song due to a medical emergency at the front of the crowd. Paramedics came out to back up the crowd as Tremonti looked on with deep concern for the fan. It was a few minutes before the paramedics wheeled her out. The fan was conscious and looked to be OK and the crowd applauded her on the way out. Mark thanked the fans for their patience and re-started the song from the beginning. It’s another great song off Marching in Time with great harmony between Mark and Eric along with some fabulous music. It’s a slower song but still kicks ass. They followed that with “My Last Mistake” from their 3rd studio album Dust. This is the song that really threw down the heavy where you saw Ryan and Tanner lay it down hard. I really enjoyed this song for the heavy rhythm that leads it.
Every live performance from Tremonti is something to behold. Between the lighting to the performances to the crowd, Tremonti brings such energy, sound, and excitement. Eric plays so well on stage and entertains the crowd with his wonderful guitar skills. Ryan wails away on the drums with intensity and speed. It’s a sight to watch him work. Tanner is also an entertainer, engaging the crowd, trying to get them moving. And Mark, of course, is a master of the guitar and vocals when he performs. His speed and skill at the guitar is far above so many others in his field. And his vocals, as I stated before, are built for rock. And when he lets loose on the vocals you can hear he was born to be a rocker.
I was saddened by such a short setlist for Tremonti that night. But, I was pleased from the picks they selected off Marching in Time and did love they played “The First the Last” from their 2018 album A Dying Machine. Overall, it was a fantastic performance from Tremonti and look forward to seeing them again soon. You can find their music and merch HERE. Their setlist that night was:
- Thrown Further
- If Not for You
- My Last Mistake
- So You’re Afraid
- Marching in Time
- The First the Last
- Another Heart
- Wish You Well
And then we got to our headliner, Daughtry. The band released their first self-titled album in 2006 and had great success. The album generated 4 Top 20 singles and the album itself ended up hitting #1 on the Billboard 200. The album was also certified Platinum by RIAA 6 times. A huge achievement for a debut album. Their sophomore album Leave This Town was released in 2009 and went #1 on the Billboard 200 as well. Daughtry found great success with every album they released including Break The Spell (2011), Baptized (2013), Cage to Rattle (2018) and their most recent album Dearly Beloved (2021). Daughtry received numerous awards from both the American Music Awards and Billboard Awards. The band was also nominated for several Grammys. This rock band is synonymous with success and from the crowd waiting for them to take the stage that night I was not surprised by the ovation they received when they stepped out on stage. Daughtry consists of Chris Daughtry (vocals, guitar), Josh Steeley (lead guitar), Brian Craddock (rhythm guitar), Elvio Fernandes (keyboards), Brandon Maclin (drums), and Patrick Dahlheimer (bass).
Daughtry wasted no time in getting the crowd rocking with “Desperation” the first track from the new album Dearly Beloved. The song starts out slower but didn’t take long before we heard Chris belt out those bone-chilling vocals and rip it loose. The crowd went insane the moment he hit that pitch we all know and love. They followed up with “World on Fire” the second track from the same album. This was a heavier rock song that kept the crowd moving and I was absolutely loving how Daughtry was driving the crowd this night. They stuck to the album playing the fourth track “Changes Are Coming”.
The band shifted gears playing “No Surprise” from the 2009 album Leave This Town. It turned into a huge sing-along from the crowd, which the band truly seemed to enjoy. And then hitting the title track “Dearly Beloved” from the new album. Daughtry shifted gears again allowing some of the band members to dhow off a little of their musical chops including Brandon getting in a very cool drum solo and Josh got a little guitar solo during the show as well. I always love seeing bands allowing band members to get their moment in the spotlight to show off their skills. I was really enjoying how Daughtry kept mixing it up during the show. And the lighting was definitely giving people the rock vibe I expected to see around with these songs.
Chris left the stage briefly and came back with an acoustic guitar and the rest of the band left the stage. He delivered two beautiful acoustic renditions of “Home” from the 2006 self-titled album and “Evil” from their current album. Both of these songs were built for acoustic renditions and as always, Chris did such a wonderful job singing and performing the songs. The band came back on stage and Chris asked for the lights to be turned off and for the fans to turn on their cell phone lights to illuminate the venue. And the fans were more than happy to do so as 2,000 plus sparkling cell phone lights lit up the venue as they performed “It’s Not Over” from their self-titled album. By far, this is my all-time favorite Daughtry track and I loved this live version under cell phone lighting.
As they got towards the end of the night, Daughty performed “Heavy is the Crown” from the new album that Chris referred to as the single “that made us relevant on the rock charts again”. This is truly an awesome single and one that had everyone pumping fists, throwing horns, and cheering for more. The band closed the show with “September” from 2009’s Leave This Town. For me, this is one of Daughtry’s best ballads they’ve ever delivered. The emotion and feeling behind the song, plus the music and their performance will give you goosebumps. Daughtry did come out to encore with “Over You” from the self-titled and “Asylum” from Dearly Beloved.
Overall, Daughtry delivered such an amazing night of great songs and energy for the Orlando crowd. Between Josh and Brian playing so well on guitar, Patrick’s smooth bass notes, Elvio’s graceful keyboard performance, Brandon’s just killer drumming, and of course Chris’ exquisite vocals and stage presence, Daughtry is a rock band for all ages and a great blend between heavy to soft rock as well. I would never pass up an opportunity to see them perform live again. You can find the music and merch HERE. Their setlist from that night was:
- Desperation
- World on Fire
- Changes Are Coming
- No Surprise
- Dearly Beloved
- Drum Solo
- Evil
- Home (acoustic)
- Cry For Help (acoustic)
- It’s Not Over
- Heavy is the Crown
- The Victim
- Lioness
- September
Encore:
- Over You
- Asylum
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