Heavy metal powerhouses, Clutch and Hellyeah have juts embarked on a North American tour. Co-headlining 33 dates, they made a stop at The Water St. Music Hall in Rochester, NY this past Wednesday night.
First out was Clutch. Lead by singer Neil Fallon, they opened with “The Mob Goes Wild.” This appeared to be quite fitting as the show was running late and how the people in attendance were feeling.Fallon doesn’t interact with the crowd by speaking to them, he communicates with facial expressions and gestures. His stage presence is, for lack of a better word, intense.
Playing a full set of 14 songs, they covered a good portion of their career, giving every fan in attendance something to enjoy. Wrapping up with “Electric Worry”, the crowd was primed for HellYeah to take the stage.
When Hell yeah took the stage and opened with “Cowboy Way”, the venue erupted. As Chad Gray spit fire into the mic, the fans went ballistic, and the house literally began to rock. After the first song, Vinnie Paul took his signature curtain call and stood up on his drum set, encouraging an ovation from the crowd. Before intrducing “Matter of Time”, Gray took a second to address the crowd stating “One thing you upstate New Yorkers know how to do is drink. Do you mind if we get fucking drunk with you?”
Playing through their set, the floor continued to shake and the crowd surfing started. It wasn’t as intense as other shows I’ve been to recently, it was more orderly and controlled. This crowd seemed a little more experienced, and even the moshing was without incident.
When closing their set with their hit “Hellyeah”, the mass again jumped in unison, matching Gray’s energy on stage. I myself was wondering if the floor was gonna hold up, so I made my way a little closer to the door. After taking a bow and exiting the stage, the crowd was anxious for more, but despite their efforts, there would be no encore. The show had already run 30 minutes past curfew, and I’m not sure if anyone really had the energy left for it.
With this tour being scheduled for 33 stops, it’s worth checking to see if their coming close to you. Whether you’re a fan of Clutch or HellYeah, having them together on one bill is a no brainer for any heavy metal fan.
Clutch Set List:
The Mob Goes Wild
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
Struck Down
Prison Planet
Night Hag
Mice and Gods
The Regulator
Cyborg Betty
Power Player
Devil and Me
Immortal
Child of the City
Crucial Velocity
Electric Worry
Hellyeah Set List:
Cowboy Way
Matter of Time
Stampede
Goddamn
War In Me
Helluva Time
Nausea
You Wouldn’t Know
Rotten to the Core
Alcohaulin’ Ass
Hellyeah
We would like to thank Corey Brewer from 10st. Entertainment for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
