Back in 2000, a new band named Disturbed hit the metal scene hard with their seminal album ‘The Sickness, ’ skyrocketing them to mainstream success. Fast forward to 2025, and Disturbed is out on tour celebrating this iconic record with fans all over the country. This past Saturday, they stopped in at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, along with Daughtry and Nothing More for a show that was one for the ages.
Opening the show was Nothing More, led by charismatic lead singer Jonny Hawkins. Coming out amidst a variety of purple and yellow lights, Nothing More hit the stage hard, delivering a short but electrifying set. Hawkins is always amazing, and the band never seems to miss a beat. They brought out Chris Daughtry to join Hawkins on the catwalk for “FREEFALL” and closed their set with fan favorite “This Is the Time (Ballast).”
Next up was Daughtry, who you may remember from his start on American Idol. Since those days, Daughtry has evolved into a world-class rocker, and he brought out all the stops for Charlotte area fans. I always thought Daughtry’s voice was one of a kind, and his performance solidified that as he ran through hard rockers like “World On Fire” and an excellent cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways.” The highlight of his set was an acoustic version of his hit song “Home.”
After two spectacular sets, the crowd was definitely hyped for Disturbed to take the stage. A curtain covered the stage, and as the lights dimmed, a series of video clips began to play. Then, it was the moment we were all waiting for as lead vocalist David Draiman was wheeled out in a straight jacket and mask just like Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs.” He ripped the mask off and held his arms out in victory as the crowd roared. All of a sudden, the stage was revealed with a series of explosions and fireworks as the band started off with “Voices.”
The rear of the stage was columns of cages stacked in geometric formations, which would serve as the basis for the lighting and massive amounts of pyrotechnics that were to follow throughout the night. The first half of the show was devoted to “The Sickness” as the band played it in its entirety.
Drummer Mike Wengren’s massive kit was center stage, flanked by guitarist Dan Donegan and bassist John Moyer. Draiman was in full command of the crowd as he worked his way across the stage and down the catwalk that jutted out into the general admission pit. Donegan and Moyer were on fire, jumping and pointing at the fans up front. After a crushing live version of “Droppin’ Plates,” Draiman was brought out onto an electric chair on the catwalk and “electrocuted,” only to survive and lead the charge into “Meaning of Life.”
After the playing of the entire ‘The Sickness’ album, Disturbed took a 20-minute intermission before heading out for the greatest hits portion of the evening. Disturbed went all out for this tour and had flames shooting up all over the stage while the capacity crowd had a lot more than “Ten Thousand Fists” in the air. What a night! But it wasn’t over yet. One of the most touching moments of a Disturbed show was about to happen as the grand piano was brought out onto the catwalk amidst a sea of fog for the beautiful “The Sound of Silence,” which featured the piano flaming up as the screen came down to reveal a background of flaming chandeliers. It was exquisite in every way. This song alone is worth the price of admission. Of course, Disturbed wouldn’t go out without another big band, and this time, the entire cage structure on the stage became a flaming wall with pyro cannons shooting side to side and up and down for the show closer, “Inside the Fire.”
The band is out on the road here in the US through mid-May, so you still have time to catch a show. It’s hard to believe that Disturbed has been a part of my life for 25 years. Like a fine wine, they seem to just get better with age.
Set List:
The Sickness:
Voices
The Game
Stupify
Down with the Sickness
Violence Fetish
Fear
Numb
Want
Conflict
Shout (Tears for Fears cover)
Droppin’ Plates
Meaning of Life
Intermission
Greatest Hits:
I will Not Break
Ten Thousand Fists
Bad Man
Land of Confusion (Genesis cover)
Indestructible
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
The Light
Inside The Fire
We would like to thank Kim Shiver from Livenation for the credentials to review the show.
