PHOTOS: Alice in Chains Concert Balances Now with Nostalgia

Jeff Hahne October 5, 2022

2 minutes read

Alice in Chains performs in front of a red backdrop. — Alice in Chains performs at PNC Music Pavilion on Oct. 4, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Hahne)

It’s hard to believe the current lineup of Alice in Chains with singer William DuVall has been together two years longer than the lineup featuring original singer Layne Stayley. That being said, the band’s focus remained on those early years during Tuesday night’s show at PNC Music Pavilion.

Tuesday’s setlist included songs like “Dam That River,” “Them Bones,” “Would?” and “Rooster.” In fact, only three songs on the 15-track setlist were more recent — one from each of the band’s three latest albums.

Alice in Chains performs, with frontman singing into a microphone in the foreground and in the background the drummer plays on a drum set with Betty White giving a rock n roll sign on the bass drum. — Alice in Chains at PNC Music Pavilion. (Photo by Jeff Hahne)

That’s not to say the band doesn’t drive forth with the same energy that it used to. DuVall is a much more energetic frontman than the normally stoic Stayley ever was, judging from the set I caught at Lollapalooza in the early ’90s.

Alice in Chains provided a solid punch to a night that featured co-headliners Breaking Benjamin stoking the modern metal fires (of course, modern only in the sense that they’ve been around about 10 years less than their counterparts, but still 20+ years).

A guitarist with Breaking Benjamin performs while pyrotechnics explode in the background — Breaking Benjamin performs at PNC Music Pavilion. (Photo by Jeff Hahne)

Believe it or not, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale is now 56 years old, but he held his own as well on Tuesday — both vocally and in terms of stage presence, pacing the stage and showing an enthusiasm not often seen during his band’s performances.

Gavin Rossdale sings into a microphone standing in front of a large red curtain that says BUSH in white letters — Gavin Rossdale of Bush. (Photo by Jeff Hahne)

The night opened with a set by up-and-coming hard-rock outfit Plush, who proved their mettle (see what I did there?) with a cover of Heart’s “Barracuda.” The female quartet is definitely one to keep an eye on; they opened for Sevendust at Neighborhood Theatre earlier this year and are headed out on the Kiss Kruise later this month.

Two women play guitar onstage — Plush performs at PNC Music Pavilion. (Photo by Jeff Hahne)

All-in-all the night provided a good balance of new vs. nostalgia.

Alice in Chains setlist

Again

Check My Brain

Grind

Them Bones

Dam That River

Hollow

Down In a Hole

Angry Chair

Man in the Box

Nutshell

The One You Know

Got Me Wrong

No Excuses

Would?

Rooster

Breaking Benjamin setlist

Blow Me Away

Sooner or Later

Firefly

So Cold

Angels Fall

Breath

Failure

Who Wants to Live Forever

Polyamorous

Give Me a Sign

Red Cold River

Until the End

Torn in Two

I Will Not Bow

The Diary of Jane

Bush setlist

The Kingdom

Machinehead

Quicksand

Bullet Holes

Everything Zen

Blood River

Flowers on a Grave

More Than Machines

Glycerine

Comedown

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