Article and Photos by: Jason Robey
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Relative to their nearly thirty-year career, Alice in Chains has released a rather small catalog of material, the latest of their five full-length studio albums coming more than three years ago. Yet, the hunger their fans have for their live show keeps them selling out shows, just like they did in Scottsdale, AZ Friday night.
The evening started with a 30 minute set from The New Regime, the brainchild of Ilan Rubin, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Angels & Airwaves and Paramore. Though the multi-instrumentalist Rubin is a one-man-band in the studio, he brought a bassist and drummer with him tonight, taking vocal and guitar duties for himself. The band’s dimly-lit set was well received by the packed crowd, including the recent single “Touch of Reality.”
After a short break, Alice in Chains stormed on stage, opening with “Hollow,” from their 2013 album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. It was the first of only four songs in their set from their post-Layne Staley years. Staley, the band’s original vocalist died in 2002, and was replaced by their current frontman, William DuVall in 2006. The band tore through the first several songs of their set barely stopping for air, as they followed up with “Them Bones” and “Dam That River,” both from their multi-platinum 1992 album Dirt. They continued through “Again,” from their 1995 self-titled album, their last with Staley, and “Check My Brain,” from their 2009 comeback album, Black Gives Way to Blue.
The group slowed things down for the first time in the set with the fan-favorite, “Nutshell,” from their 1994 EP, Jar of Flies. The mostly acoustic song ended with a haunting and beautiful solo by guitarist and founding member, Jerry Cantrell. Cantrell is known for his guitar virtuosity, as well as his impeccable vocal harmonizing, which has become a trademark sound of Alice In Chains’ music. They immediately picked the pace back up with a pair of their biggest hits, “Angry Chair,” from Dirt and “Man in the Box,” from their 1990 debut album, Facelift.
Drummer Sean Kinney, the only other original member besides Cantrell, and bassist Mike Inez, who replaced Mike Starr in 1993 laid down a solid, chugging rhythm for the band as they continued their 90-minute crowd-pleasing set. After an incredible performance of the 1992 ode to addiction, “Junkhead,” the band left the stage for a short break. They returned for a three-song encore of a few of their greatest hits. Cantrell began strumming the easily-recognizable chords of the 1992 song “Rooster,” to the sound of the crowd screaming in excitement. They left no time to rest before Kinney kicked into the well-known drum intro of the chart-topping “No Excuses.” The crowd went wild when they closed with one of their best-known songs, “Would?”
Hollow
Them Bones
Dam That River
Again
Check My Brain
Nutshell
Angry Chair
Man in the Box
Down in a Hole
Stone
Last of My Kind
We Die Young
It Ain’t Like That
Junkhead
encore:
Rooster
No Excuses
Would?