Stage Buzz-Anthrax @ Concord Hall
One of the Big Four of thrash bands is returning to Chicago! New York thrashers Anthrax, along with equally influential Death Angel, will be performing select headline shows in between slots on Slayerâs Repentless World Tour, which includes a stop at Concord Music Hall on Wednesday, September 21.
And you can expect one wild party, as longtime bassist Frankie Bello explained. âChicago is our second home,â he said. âNot only does our drummer Charlie (Benante) live in Chicago, thereâs so many good friends there. Chicago has always been great to us. The fans there are insane, and I say that with all due respect. I love the fact that we can go there and they expect a rage⌠and it will be. Weâre going to bring it and I fully expect a great show.â
While their latest record, For All Kings, was released in February via Megaforce Records, this will be their first proper U.S. tour in support of it. And the band has included four songs from it in the setlist, which get just as big of a crowd response as their classic tracks Bello said. âWhen we play a song such as âBreathing Lightningâ or âEvil Twin,â they go over just as well (as our classics),âhe said. âAfter we finish the song and the lights go down, youâll hear a roar, and those are some of the biggest roars of the night. That lends itself to me the vibe that the people are accepting them as a classic.â
While the band is celebrating its 35th anniversary, Bello had no clue of the bandâs longevity when he joined in 1984 as an 18 year old. Nor did he realize where this new scene called thrash would take them.
âWe didnât know back then that weâd be going for 35 years,â he said. âYou have to remember, back then nobody knew what this scene was and all we did was play heavy and they put the name thrash on it. All we wanted to do was to go out there and be on tour, write great songs and record them. Thankfully, and I say this very humbly, weâve been very lucky. I think we still continue to pay our dues because we work hard.â’
– Kelley Simms
Oh say can you seeâŚ
Vocalist Joey Belladonna will be singing the National Anthem on the night of the show on Wed. 21st at Wrigley Field before the Cubs game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
