This past Saturday, June, 7th, 2014 I was prepared to hear the old familiar metal sounds of the Christian band STRYPER. The band was headlining at the Braun’s Concert Cove located in Akron, NY. Just past Darien Lake I pulled into a large gravel parking lot that was filled up with people to see this band.
If you have never been to this place before it is situated in a country setting and has plenty of space. As I parked and started to walk up to the venue I could see inside the venue, which looked like an airplane hangar, with several hundred people already gathered at the stage waiting for the band to start playing.
The guys took the stage with familiar long hair and the black and yellow theme to their clothes and gear. The spandex has been replaced with a more modern, mature feel to show that the band has continued to grow their style along with their music. Frontman Michael Sweet related to the fans by recalling when he could remember when they played to crowds where the guys wore more make-up than then ladies back-in-the-day. I think the entire audience collectively was nodding and chuckling thinking back to those times.
The sound emanating from Robert Sweet as his sticks met the drum set transformed the crowd. Immediately recognizing, “Caught In The Middle” the crowd’s hands seemed to instinctually go up while guitarist Oz Fox reigned in the front row with his proficient skills on the 6-string.
Emotion swept the floor like I haven’t felt before at a show. It was sense of joy and peace but yet I was listening to metal, right??? Stryper’s signature ballad, “Honestly” slowed the pace down and really mellowed everyone and you just felt a sense of harmony. It was a wonderful experience and show to participate in. It does go to show that a room filled with energy, love and positive thoughts really does make a difference…I felt it.
Setlist:
God
Relevation
Loud and Clear
Reach Out
Calling On You
Free
More Than a Man
No More Hell to Pay
Marching Into Battle
Carry on Wayward Son (Kansas cover)
Shout it Out Loud (KISS cover)
In God We Trust
Always There For You
All For One
Caught in the Middle
Honestly
The Way
Soldiers Under Command
Encore:
Abyss
To Hell With the Devil
Legacy
We would like to thank Dustin Hardman of Frontier Records for the credentials to review the show.
