Bush made their last U.S. tour stop of 2018 on October 4th at North Seventh Philly (formerly The Electric Factory). They brought along veteran rockers 10 Years for the ride. Bush was out supporting their 2017 release “Black and White Rainbows” while 10 Years was supporting their 2017 release “(how to live) AS GHOSTS”.
10 Years formed in Knoxville, TN in 1999. The lineup has changed over the years but has had a few steadfast members. Lead singer Jesse Hasek joined the band in 2002 and founding member Brian Vodinh has moved from the drums to lead guitar, while, bassist Chad Gennor and drummer Luke Narey joined as touring members this year. 10 Years set list combined old and new songs flawlessly. They leaned heavily on the new album, featuring Halo, Catacombs, a cover of Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box, and Sirius XMs heavily rotated Novacaine. The band was super tight even with a newer rhythm section, Brian’s guitar playing was super passionate and Jesse’s vocals were spot on. They went all the way back to 2005 and pulled out Wasteland off of their album “The Autumn Effect”. Jesse asked any old school fans in the house to sing along, there actually ended up being quite a few long-time fans that lit up the crowd.
10 Years put on a great set and really revved up the crowd for Bush. They have a few dates this week with Tremonti, as well as, a few headline dates. Check them out if they roll through your area, you won’t be disappointed.
Bush, formed in 1992 and blew up in 1994 when Everything Zen, off their debut album ‘Sixteen Stone”, hit the airwaves. Bush is comprised of Gavin Rossdale (vocals, guitar), Chris Traynor (guitar), Corey Britz (bass) and Robin Goodridge (drums). Gavin has got to be one of the most energetic front men that I have seen in a long time. He blasted onto the stage with a huge smile on his face, danced about a bit, then exploded to the microphone with one of their biggest hits, Machinehead. I had seen Bush a couple of times prior to this show but never from up close. You could literally feel the energy flowing from the band to the crowd. There is no better concert experience then when a band engages the crowd to the point of being mesmerized by their presence.
Next up were two new songs off of their current release “Black and White Rainbows”; Nurse and This is War. For This is War, Gavin gave up the guitar and gained a lot of air. He tore up the vocals on this track, ran back and forth across the stage and jumping every time the chorus hit. At one point he jumped up on the drum riser, sang a verse then launched himself into the air. Chris’ guitar has such a huge sound and great riff on this song. It’s a good one to check out if you haven’t listened to their new material.
Bush performed songs across their catalogue including Everything Zen, Swallowed, The Sound of Winter and Disease. They closed out the main set with Little Things from their debut album. During this song, Gavin walked through the crowd and sang as the band jammed out on stage. This song has definitely has the 90’s grunge sound to it; a straight, crisp rock beat held down by Robin, distorted guitar and a heart pounding bass. The crowd swarmed Gavin as he made his way up and over the balcony, ending on the floor, hanging off of a pillar. It’s really awesome to see his interaction with the fans, I know his effort was well appreciated but the crowd, especially the screeching women.
Bush closed the night with a 3 song encore, starting out with a cover of The Beatles, Come Together. It was rounded out by some of their biggest hits Glycerine and Comedown. While they played much of their earlier work, the songs have really stood the test of time. Their newer material is a bit updated with the times lyrically, but their distinctive sound has remained constant.
This was Bush’s last U.S. tour date for the year but I am sure they will be back around in the New Year. They are just as good as they have ever been, the old songs are still fantastic and the new material has a ton of energy and good vibes. The crowd remained engaged for the whole show, while not becoming aggressive. It was a fantastic night in the City of Brotherly Love.