Alice in Chains

(Originally Published on South Florida Insider)

Seattle Grunge Legends Bring a Night Of New Singles and Classic Captivating Hits – Review of the Alice in Chains Concert at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL

Story by: Gleb Barabanov

Alice in Chains, one of the hardest working, hardest rocking bands from the grunge generation, finished off their most recent United States tour with a final stop in the Sunshine State. Supporting their latest album Rainier Fog, Jerry Cantrell and the rest of the band delivered an amazing performance, effortlessly melding together their greatest hits from the 90’s with the best cuts from their recent albums to form an absolute stunner of a show that head the crowd on its feet from start to finish.

Alice in Chains has always been a more “heavier” band than most of its 90’s peers, combining both softer melodies and hard riffs to form together the perfect blend of rock. And after lead singer Layne Staley’s unfortunate passing in 2002, not many people thought that they would every get a chance to see the venerable rock act live again. However, like a phoenix rising out of its ashes, the band reformed bigger and badder than ever before in 2006, recruiting current vocalist William DuVall to join the band. And although nobody can ever replace Layne, William does an amazing job at paying homage to Layne’s style while still retaining his own special flavor.

As the venue filled up and everyone took their seats, the opening intro song started and the lights dimmed as the crowd erupted in uproarious cheering. The band kicked off into its first song, Check My Brain, and both William and Jerry began belting out the vocals while the crowd screamed them right back at the group. Surrounded by an enormous wall full of lights, the group went right into the good stuff, playing Again, Them Bones, and Dam That River from their most well-known album Dirt, eliciting another wave of fanatical cheering with each song they played. After a couple of songs from their latest offering, Rainier Fog, the band switched back to the classics, giving us amazing renditions of We Die Young, Down in a Hole and No Excuses.

It was somewhere around this time in the show that the giant wall of lights turned into 4 huge LED screens, projecting visuals and patterns in front of the lights during the songs. Another surprise was the acoustic version of Nutshell that was popularized in the “MTV Unplugged” program and album. After Angry Chair and Man in the Box, the group took a small break before breaking into an encore prompted by the ever-cheering audience. Consisting of a new song, The One You Know and a three hit combo of Got Me Wrong, Would, and Rooster, the band saved their very best songs for last and left the audience wanting more and more, even after a stunning four song encore. Here’s hoping they don’t leave us waiting too long and come back to visit Florida soon!