Saint Asonia and Seether in Pittsburgh reviewed

Take one part Seether, add a generous portion of former Three Days Grace vocalist Adam Gontier & Staind guitarist Mike Mushok’s new band Saint Asonia, a dash of Within Reason for that extra kick and you’ve got the recipe for one hell of a kick ass rock concert. That’s exactly what fans in Pittsburgh were treated to when the tour hit Stage AE and like any good chef, each band served up a savory morsel that left mouths watering and begging for more. Within Reason lit the fire and brought the heat with a tasty set of killer melodic hard rock that was eagerly gobbled up by the fans, leaving them hungry for more. If you’re not yet familiar with this impressive up and coming band, might we suggest you check them out. With a performance and songs this strong, they have an extremely bright future ahead of them. Fans barely got to digest the first course when Saint Asonia hit the stage, stirring the pot even further with a delicious set of high energy hard rock. Both Mushok and Gontier seemed to have a renewed sense of purpose and a new found hunger that drove them to give what may have been the performances of their lives. Not to be outdone, the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist Corey Lowery and drummer Rich Beddoe gave the dish some extra seasoning with a wickedly spicy performance of their own. The audience was treated to a nice mix of songs like “Better Place,” “Blow Me Wide Open,” “Dying Slowly” and “King of Nothing” from their stunning self-titled debut alongside “Mudshovel” & “For You” by Staind as well as the Three Days Grace hits “Animal I Have Become” & “I Hate Everything About You,” but it was when Gontier walked through the crowd during closer “Let Me Live My Life” that really got them drooling. From there, Seether brought the dish to a full boil with a superheated set of scrumptious melodic hard rock, much to the delight of those in attendance that were already totally baked. Drenched in blood red lighting, hair hung low on his face, singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan resembled a deranged serial killer as he prowled the stage, his guitar, an extension of his somber stage persona, serving as his weapon of choice, his voice slicing through the darkness like a razor. Credit where credit is due, the rest of the band did a stellar job of their own, with touring guitarist Bryan Wickmann adding extra heft to their sound and some layers to the backing vocals, while drummer John Humphrey beat the living shit out of his drum kit and bassist Dale Stewart commanded his share of the spotlight. By the time the audience was done feasting on Seether classics like “Rise Above This,” “Gasoline,” “Needles,” “Fine Again,” “Broken,” “Fake It,” “Remedy” and a cover of Nirvana’s “Lithum” for good measure, their bellies were full and they had to loosen their belts for the ride home. -Eric Hunker Click here for complete photo galleries of Seether and Saint Asonia