Mar 15

Mar 15 Show Review: Sevendust Celebrate 21 Years of 'Animosity' In Sacramento

Sevendust
w/ Tetrarch, Dead Poet Society
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
March 12th, 2022

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

I’ll admit it; Sevendust was a band in the scene that I wasn’t completely familiar with. I knew who they were, obviously, but I hadn’t really heard their music beyond a couple of singles over the years. But I have a friend who waxes poetic about them, and I had the chance to watch one of their guitarists, Clint Lowery, perform a great show in San Francisco pre-pandemic. So when I heard that they were coming through Northern California, I jumped at the chance to cover the show. After witnessing the five-piece band perform before a sold out crowd at Ace of Spades in Sacramento last Saturday night, I understand the hype; Sevendust are a phenomenal live band.

The show was opened by two bands, the first being Dead Poet Society, a hard-hitting rock act from Los Angeles. I would have to say that they were the one act of the night that was the most different from the other two, veering away from hard rock and heavy metal territory. However, it didn’t matter; the band put on a great performance and did an excellent job getting the crowd warmed up for the evening. Dead Poet Society will actually be back in the Bay Area on May 6th, at The Fillmore, supporting Biffy Clyro, so go and check out their show if you haven’t yet.

Whatever energy that Dead Poet Society brought out in the crowd was turned up to ten when Tetrarch took the stage. The Atlanta-based four-piece took to the stage and threw themselves into an intensely fun main support set, playing their way through a setlist comprised of modern metal riffs, breakdowns, and soaring vocal lines. It’s rare to see an opener engage with a crowd the way that Tetrarch did, and they commanded the stage the way a headliner would.

With two great opening performances finished, that only left Sevendust. From the second the band walked out on stage, they all looked genuinely happy, not taking any moment of this for granted. Without missing a beat, they launched straight into the first track of their album Animosity, which they played from start to finish in celebration of its 21st anniversary. Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon spoke to the crowd every few songs in a quieter tone, a distinct contrast between the heavy-hitting tracks as he spoke about what the celebration of the Animosity album has meant to the entire band and fanbase. After a truly captivating performance, the band returned for a three song encore that featured “Bitch”, “Blood From A Stone”, and the electrifying “Face To Face” to close the evening.

It was truly exciting to watch Sevendust play, closing out a night filled with some incredible acts in rock, both of old and new. I definitely could see Sevendust playing an even longer set, but I guess we’ll have to save that for the next show. Looking forward to it.

Sevendust Set List
Animosity
T.O.A.B.
Praise
Trust
Damaged
Xmas Day
Dead Set
Follow
Shine
Live Again
Beautiful
Redefine
Angel’s Son
Crucified

Encore:
Bitch
Blood From A Stone
Face To Face