I knew it was going to be a crazy night at The Fillmore when I approached the venue several hours before show time and the line of fans waiting to enter was already wrapped around the block. It was clear that the Blood Legion was out in force and ready to welcome In This Moment to Charlotte as they made a stop in the Queen City on the “Half God Half Devil” Tour. The lovely and talented Maria Brink and In This Moment were joined by the horror rockers Motionless In White who brought out a strong contingent of fans as well and the metal of Vimic which features ex-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison.
Vimic took the stage to a packed house and it was great to see Joey Jordison get behind his enormous kit as he flashed the devil horns to the crowd. Vocalist Kalen Chase has a commanding stage presence and the band sounded in top form as they whipped through a short but solid set. It appears that Jordison’s health issues are behind him as he was in absolute beast mode, drumming better than he ever has. It was a fantastic start to what would be an unforgettable evening of rock and roll.
The intensity of the sold out crowd was high in anticipation of Motionless In White and people were beginning to crowd surf while the crew was still setting up the stage. Tons of white candelabras were set up on top of the amplifiers and speaker cabinets along with the band’s signature Halloween fencing complete with light up jack o’lanterns. The venue absolutely erupted as Chris Motionless and company came out kicking things off with their single “Loud(Fuck It)” from their latest album “Graveyard Shift.” The song is energetic and is a great statement for the band to start the show with. MIW not only kicks ass musically but they always put on a hell of a show and tonight was no exception with Chris working the crowd and the band sounding crisp and tight. Bassist Devon “Ghost” Sola is always fun to watch and was dressed as Dracula. They even had a stage girl who came out with an axe and later with a noose which she put around one lucky fan’s neck as a souvenir. Body after body was coming over the barricade and the action didn’t stop the whole set. By the time their set closer “Reincarnate” was over everyone needed a break to cool down and prepare for the main event.
Needless to say, In This Moment was the reason for the evening and nobody in rock puts on a better show than them. The band is indeed a full package with great songs, theatrical stage sets, elaborate costumes, and unique props. A white curtain covered the stage and dropped as Maria Brink, dressed in a black robe and headpiece, stood on a raised dais surrounded by her Blood Girls dancers. The stage was lit up with white crosses around the back with bassist Travis Johnson on one side and guitarist Randy Weitzel on the other. Chris Howorth was in the back on a raised platform as was drummer Kent Diimmel. Maria entrances the audience with her voice and commands the stage with her presence. An In This Moment show is a wild and wonderful spectacle to be a part of and tonight the audience would definitely get their money’s worth. There is no way to mention everything that was included in their set so I’ll just touch on a few of the highlights. There was a huge smoldering cauldron for “Witching Hour” as Maria and two of the Blood Girls were dressed in hooded robes and fantastic costuming and dancing for “Black Widow.” About midway through the show, Maria took a moment thanking everyone for coming out to the show emphasizing that they could have chosen to do anything but chose to be at the show and stated that “we scream and cry together and are united in the name of music.” She then introduced the members of the band as they each did a short solo with the highlight of guitar and bass only version of Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and “Creeping Death.” The second half of the show featured an appearance by Chris Motionless as he played the groom to Maria’s bride during “Black Wedding.” A surprise inclusion was a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the Phil Collins’ classic “In The Air Tonight.” They closed out their set with a song from their upcoming “Ritual” album, “Oh Lord.” The tune has a bluesy, almost gospel feel to it and Maria and the Blood Girls were dressed in flowing, white, choir type robes. As the stage was filled with fog, they each had a light up orb that they danced with during the song. It was by far one of my favorites and a stand out of the evening. As the lights went dark, the crowd erupted and the band came out for one more song. Maria came out with her school girl outfit and her dunce cap for a killer version of “Whore” that had the audience on its feet screaming along.
What a fantastic show! Each band brought their uniqueness to the sold out crowd which made for an unforgettable night. The “Half God Half Devil” Tour is “THE” show of the summer and one that rock fans simply can not miss. Tickets are going fast so check out the tour schedule and secure your date today.
Set List:
Blood
Witching Hour
Sick Like Me
Adrenalize
River Of Fire
Burn
Lay Your Gun Down
Black Widow
Black Wedding
In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover)
Oh Lord
Encore:
Whore
We would lie to thank Amy Sciarretto from Atomsplitter PR for the credentials to review the show.
