Ever since reviewing Tremonti’s latest studio release, Marching In Time last September, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the Dearly Beloved Tour to come rolling through The Wellmont Theater.
And that’s just what it did.
Featuring headliners Daughtry with support by Tremonti and Lyell, the tour swept into Montclair NJ this past Wednesday, March 2nd and was greeted by a packed house. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in the few shows I’ve had the pleasure to cover since live music started to make its comeback, is that fans are getting to the venues much earlier than they used to pre-pandemic. Opening bands are paying to mostly-crowded houses, people are engaging with the artists and just having a damn good time.
Newcomers Lyell kicked off the night with a short but sweet 30-minute set of high energy rock n’ roll. Frontwoman Alyssa Coco did a phenomenal job engaging the crowd, who for the most part were not familiar with the band, but ultimately that did not seem to matter. I would not be surprised if we start hearing from Lyell much more after this tour. They have a great vibe and a really accessible rock sound that will go over well with many fans.
Shortly before 8pm, Tremonti took the stage and the excitement was palpable. Mine included. Having seen Tremonti before, I knew I was in for another banger of a show, but the real thrill was hearing the new material live for the first time. The band kicked it right off with “Thrown Further” and “If Not For You” from Marching in Time, saving the title track for the midway point in the 8-song set. Mark Tremonti and Eric Friedman’s technical guitar work was flawless and soaring. Bassist Tanner Keegan and drummer Ryan Bennett provided a matching unrelenting beat that was felt right in the gut, in the best way. Ever listen to an album and think, “This will sound absolutely freakin’ amazing live?” Yeah. It was that kind of night.
Headliner Daughtry kicked off its iconic set shortly before 9pm. Backed by an incredible lighting production, the band truly soared through its 14-song set. Having had no previous live-show experience with the band, I was pleasantly surprised by the energy and incredible vocal range on the part of Chris Daughtry throughout the entire night. With a set consisting mostly of new material from Dearly Departed, Daughtry kept the crowd on their feet and engaged through high energy tracks like “Changes are Coming,” and “World on Fire” to the short acoustic performance of “Home” and heartbreaking “Cry for Help.” It’s certainly made me look up Dearly Departed to have a good listen without the distraction of photographing the show. I’m sold and totally recommend you check out the album for yourself, and if you can, definitely grab yourself a ticket to this tour. You won’t regret it.
Photos of Daughtry’s Set:
Daughtry Setlist:
01. Desperation
02. World on Fire
03. Changes Are Coming
04. No Surprise
05. Dearly Beloved
06. Drum Solo
07. Evil
08. Home (acoustic)
09. Cry For Help (acoustic)
10. It’s Not Over
11. Heavy Is The Crown
12. The Victim
13. Lioness
14. September
Encore:
15. Over You
16. Asylum
Follow Daughtry:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Photos of Tremonti’s set:
Tremonti Setlist:
01. Thrown Further
02. If Not For You
03. My Last Mistake
04. The Things I’ve Seen
05. Marching In Time
06. The First the Last
07. Another Heart
08. Wish You Well
Follow Tremonti:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
