The Christian music festival Rock the Park pulled into the Paladium Amphitheatre at Carowinds for its annual summer stop in Charlotte this past Saturday. The biggest Christian rock act on the planet was on the bill and set to tear things up in a big way. Of course I am talking about Skillet. If you have never seen Skillet live in concert, you are missing out on a truly amazing experience.
Their short but solid set kicked off with the appearance of violinist Jonathan Chu and cellist Tate Olsen, complete with masks, playing the intro to “Whispers in the Dark.” The rest of the band appeared to thundering applause and began to rock the house. Lead vocalist and bassist John Cooper is quite the showman interacting with the audience and pumping up the crowd while his wife Korey Cooper does not stand still at all jumping and turning about with her guitar nonstop. The setlist played heavily off the “Comatose” album with a few songs from “Awake and Alive” and their latest album “Rise.” Being that this was a Christian festival, John took a few moments out of the set to express his faith and share with the appreciative audience. A surprise inclusion was a cover of “Wake Me Up” by Avicii and a banjo version of “Those Nights” which had the entire band in front of the stage wearing “nerd” glasses and just having fun. Drummer Jen Ledger was a force behind the kit but came stagefront to sing the female vocal lead on “Hero,” showcasing her vocal harmonies with John. The final three songs were the highlight of the night as Chu and Olsen made another appearance for “The Last Night” and guitarist Seth Morrison absolutely tore it up on “Monster.” Closing the set out was “Rebirthing,” again with Chu and Olsen on rising platforms and a nice light display on the big screen.
Skillet not only has terrific songs but put on a fantastic rock and roll show. With smoke, changing light displays, and rising platforms, it is a feast for both eyes and ears. I have seen Skillet perform many times and they never disappoint. This show was no exception. If you have the chance, check them out when they head to a city near you.
Setlist:
Whispers in the Dark
Comatose
Sick of It
Better Than Drugs
Wake Me Up (Avicii cover)
Awake and Alive
Rise
Those Nights (Banjo version)
Hero
The Last Night
Monster
Rebirthing
We would like to thank Lauren Lyle from Q Management Group for the credentials to review the show.
