COLUMBUS, OH- It’s been a busy year for Daughtry. The hard rock act has been on several tours in 2024 as either direct support or co-headliner. On Friday, December 6th, as part of the annual Blitzmas Concert Series put on by Columbus radio station WRKZ 99.1 The Blitz, Chris Daughtry and crew headlined the tour dubbed the “Adrenaline Gone Ballistic Holiday Tour” with Devour the Day and Sleep Theory as openers. Held at Kemba Live on their indoor stage to a capacity crowd, the stacked lineup brought an auspicious night of hard rock frivolity to eager fans, with all three bands delivering power-packed sets from start to finish.
I was a bit tardy for Devour the Day’s set, catching only half of it. The band from Memphis, TN, packed a powerful punch from the songs I was able to witness, which infused post-grunge, nü-metal, and hard rock in their sound. They made their presence known to the crowd, coupled with an impactful performance.
Led by singer Blake Allison, who is a consummate frontman engaging with both his audience and his band, Allison, who is also the drummer for the band Pop Evil, is joined by Joey “Chicago” Walser on bass, Justin Kier on drums, and Stephen Freeman on guitar. The foursome did an excellent job of warming up the already packed house for the next two bands.
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Sleep Theory, another foursome from Memphis, was up next, taking the stage in a cloud of fog machines after Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” played as their pre-show song. Comprised of Cullen Moore on vocals, Paolo Vergara on bass and co-lead vocals, Daniel Pruitt on lead guitar and screams, and Ben Pruitt on drums, they were not to be outdone by DTD. Most of their set was comprised of songs from their 2023 EP Paper Hearts, as they are still relatively new and that’s all they’ve released so far. The band is working on new music and a new album to be released in the near future.
They played a few unreleased songs mixed into their set, but most were from their EP, including their 2024 single “Paralyzed,” which has a heavier edge and saw all three vocalists singing their parts. The focal point of the band seems to land on Vergara; he’s charismatic as he moves to the forefront of the stage, engaging the crowd. Though the rest of the band wasn’t any less energetic, Vergara caught my attention more than the rest. Though still in their infancy as a band, they are tight. This fact was proven as they were extremely backlit, forcing the crowd to focus more on listening than having a full concert experience. Their unique blend of metal and R&B seems to have caught on, as the crowd sang along with them. The quartet put the crowd in the right mood for Daughtry.
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My first experience with Chris Daughtry was not like many who saw him compete on American Idol, but rather through the song “Open Up Your Eyes” from his second album Leave This Town. It struck a chord with me lyrically and emotionally, as I lost my wife to cancer in 2010, and the subject matter of the song just stuck with me—even until today. I had heard about him through some friends who were fans, and they turned me on to his music. I was so impressed by the power of his voice that I had a huge desire to hear more. Songs like “Crashed,” “What I Want,” and “Tennessee Line” were at the top of my list of favorites that solidified my fandom. I later got to see him live at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, where he headlined a tour with Three Doors Down and P.O.D. It was a great show.
Fast forward to the Kemba Live show in 2024—it’s great to see that his voice has not lost any of its power or potency. He and the band took to the stage and immediately broke into the first track off their recently released Shock to the System EP with “The Reckoning.” Their sound has evolved to a harder, almost metal intensity with this release. They followed up with two tracks from the Dearly Beloved album: “Changes Are Coming,” which featured a snippet of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” mixed in for good measure, and “World on Fire.”
“Crashed” was up next in the set, which still sounds as good as ever. The band kept their stage setup simple to help the crowd focus more on the music, with only a few graphics displayed behind them, generous lighting, some smoke, and two walk-up ramps at the front of the stage for Chris to hang around on and belt out the songs. The crowd was wild, and an electric buzz filled the room as they moved from song to song. Their cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” was next up and full of energy. They released this song in 2023 with Lzzy Hale of Halestorm on co-lead vocals. Sadly, there was no guest appearance from her, but Chris vocally delivered it with ease and intensity.
There was a long pause before Chris returned solo with his acoustic guitar, taking time to address the crowd and drawing us into an intimate moment by saying, “I’d like to have a magical moment with you guys. Grab your cell phones and lighters; lightsabers are welcome. If you know this song, sing it with me. If you don’t, make some shit up.” He then broke into an impassioned rendition of “Home.” He continued acoustically with a cover of Deftones’ “Change (In the House of Flies).”
After another long pause, the band returned once again, plugged in with lights and smoke plumes, for “Shock to the System,” the title track of the new EP. There seemed to be a new fervor with their return. They served up one of their top 5 hits from 2006, “It’s Not Over,” surely a fan favorite and a set staple. Chris flexed his voice in the chorus, proving yet again why he is a vocal powerhouse. The next two songs, “Nervous” and “Pieces,” were both from the EP, which was heavily featured in the set, with six of its eight songs played.
Dawning his Gibson Explorer for the next song, Chris encouraged fans to sing along to “Over You” by teaching the chorus parts. The audience responded vigorously, singing wholeheartedly. There were band introductions before they left the stage. The band is rounded out by Brian Craddock on guitar, Elvio Fernandes on keys, Marty O’Brien on bass, and Jeremy Schaffer on drums.
After a short intermission, the band returned for their three-song encore, which featured “The Dam” and “Artificial,” both from Shock to the System, sandwiching fan-favorite “Heavy Is the Crown” between them. The audience was still abuzz as they left the venue. A satisfying end to a spectacular night. Daughtry had delivered the goods on a holiday-inspired tour. Much is coming from them this new year as they are set to embark on a summer tour with Creed, which will also feature Mammoth WVH on their leg of the tour. Catch them in a city near you.
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