Live: Alter Bridge in Indianapolis

It’s been three years since Alter Bridge came through Indianapolis. Since then, the world has shut down and reopened and the band has a new record in Kings & Pawns and have brought along Mammoth WVH and Red for the ride, this time playing Indy’s Murat Theater. Red have been a fan favorite in Indy almost since the beginning so the building was already almost full when they took the stage. They didn’t have a lot of time so they breezed through the hits- “Faceless,” “Death of Me,” “Already Over,” “Feed the Machine” and “Breathe Into Me.” Per the usual, singer Michael Barnes was all over the place, jumping around and making sure fans on both sides of the venue got a chance to be up close to the band. Mammoth WVH was up next and, though they only have one record out, fans were already familiar with them and their excitement was infectious. The band played a different set and a completely different style and the fans ate up every minute of it. Alter Bridge took the stage to a deafening response from the crowd- most of whom had been waiting all through a pandemic to see the band. They breezed through a 16-song set that saw the band playing “The Other Side” for the first time all tour. Throughout the set, Mark Temonti and Myles Kennedy traded lead vocal duties and the band even slowed things down for a few acoustic songs. The set had virtually every Alter Bridge fan favorite and the band sounded better than ever before. In the end, it’s clear Alter Bridge are back with a vengeance and the Pawns & Kings album cycle should be a fun one. -Reggie Edwards