Article and Photos by: Michael W. Bright 

Louisville KY—February 22nd, the iconic rock band Bush electrified their fans at the Louisville Palace Theater, the debut tour for their most recent album, The Art of Survival. The band’s impressive setlist, a beautifully curated mix of old classics and new songs, showcased why they’ve remained a relevant force for over two decades. It also explains why the roughly 2400 capacity theater was sold out, give or take 99 seats.

The band opened with the first single from the album, “Identity,” a fulfilling contribution to the band’s signature sound, which blends grunge and alternative rock. As “Machinehead” erupted, front man Gavin Rossdale worked the stage, typically connecting with fans in every corner of the venue. From the stage, “ I remember this place, I remember this place, yeah… yeah,” making note of the impressive Spanish Baroque architecture in a theater that contains over 130 sculptures.

Following “The Chemicals Between Us” and “Bullet Holes,” a spotlight found Rossdale in the audience, squeezing through tight rows of seats, shaking hands, hi-five-ing, then momentarily disappearing, next reappearing high up in the theater, working his way through the balcony as the band roared behind him.

Bush split the dead center of the set with two classics,”Everything Zen” and “Swallowed,” a real treat that had only been performed once before on the current tour.  These two brought back memories of the band’s most successful recordings and the crowd wildly appreciated the history lesson.

The faithful demanded an encore and were well-rewarded with “Glycerine” and “Comedown,” huge singles from their debut album, Sixteen Stone, concluding their performance in a flawless fashion .

The concert was an incredible experience for those lucky enough to get a ticket. The band showed off their new album while perfectly managing to bring the classic Bush sound to life. Rossdale’s magnetic stage presence and the band’s raw energy created an electric atmosphere that deserves a place on this year’s sparse list of shows where good money was well-spent. After two months off Bush returns to the tour in early May. You’ll find information about the band, The Art of Survival album, and show dates at, https://bushofficial.com/.