Mar 22

Mar 22 Show Review: Daughtry Brings "Dearly Beloved" Tour To San Jose

Daughtry
w/ Tremonti, Lyell
March 17th, 2022
San Jose Civic
San Jose, CA

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

In the history of the television series American Idol, I’ve heard a number of people argue that only a handful of competitors have achieved the “superstardom” that the show has been touting its winners will achieve since its premiere in the early 2000s. Those three are: season one winner Kelly Clarkson, season three winner Carrie Underwood, and season three runner-up Jennifer Hudson. I would add a fourth to that list, and that name is Chris Daughtry, a runner-up from the show’s fifth season. Despite not winning, he was signed to RCA Records and released Daughtry, at the time the fastest selling rock debut album in the history of Nielsen SoundScan (it sold over one million copies within five weeks and has been certified six times platinum).

I’d never had the chance to see Daughtry, even though they’ve toured extensively from 2007 onward, headlining and opening for acts like Bon Jovi, Nickelback, and Goo Goo Dolls. I think the fact that Daughtry is still playing large-scale rock shows and selling tickets in 2022 stands as a testament to the band’s ability to write great songs and the lasting impact of their show. Think about it; the mediums that made Daughtry a household name back in early 2006 are declining, with physical media being phased out of the conversation and streaming leading the way for consumers. American Idol is back on television, but let’s face it; it’s not the same as the show that brought millions of Americans around their television set multiple times a week to see their favorite performers battle it out. So upon seeing Daughtry’s show at San Jose Civic in San Jose, CA last Thursday evening, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. While it was a bit more polished of a show than I’ve been used to, I was highly entertained throughout the run of show.

The show was opened by an up-and-coming rock performer named Lyell, who played through an engaging and powerful half-hour opening set to kick things off right. Tremonti, the heavy metal act fronted by Alter Bridge and Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti, kept things moving. While I do prefer Alter Bridge a bit more, as far as Mark Tremonti’s musical projects go, I thought that Tremonti put on an entertaining show and got the energy in the room just right for our headliner.

Around 9 PM, Daughtry took the stage with powerful opening track “Desperation”, before powering through songs like “World on Fire” and “Changes Are Coming”. Chris Daughtry spoke to the audience every once in a while, remarking how happy he was to be back playing show. One of the highlight moments for me came when he performed “Home”, one of the band’s most well-known songs. “So for this next song…whenever someone comes up to me and is like, “oh my god, I love your band, I love that one song you guys play”…this is that one song.” A few laughs emanated from throughout the room before turning into singing, as everyone sang the words right back.

While those iconic songs like “Home”, “It’s Not Over”, and closing song “Over You” were played, a majority of the material came from the band’s Dearly Beloved album, which was released in September 2021. Heavier tracks like “Heavy Is The Crown” made a great impact throughout the setlist, continuing to prove that this a band that’s still got it. The “American Idol” association may deter some people from ever giving Daughtry a true chance, but I hope that isn’t the case; this is a world-class rock act, still generating an impressive output of music and tour dates. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’re in for a treat.

Daughtry Set List
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:
Waiting For Superman (acoustic)
Over You