Halestorm and Friends Ignite the Night

Though temperatures were still in the 80s, fans were eagerly lined up well before gates opened for the final concert of the season at ̶S̶a̶n̶d̶s̶t̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶V̶e̶r̶i̶z̶o̶n̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶C̶a̶p̶i̶t̶o̶l̶ ̶F̶e̶d̶e̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶C̶r̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶P̶r̶o̶v̶i̶d̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶M̶e̶d̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶C̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶ Azura Amphitheater with the Apocalyptica, Lindsey Stirling, and Halestorm. The pairing of Lindsey and Halestorm has always seemed odd to me on paper, but on-stage, it’s clear that things could go no other way.

Opening the night, the Finnish cello-metal outfit leaned into what their fans expect: deftly arranged covers of Metallica staples, interwoven with their own darker original textures. As the band recently released a new album, Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol 2, it shouldn’t be surprising that their set featured heavily from that. Their abbreviated set featured “Ride the Lightning,” “Master of Puppets,” “Enter Sandman,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “St. Anger,” and “Seek & Destroy”.

Their performance on Monday felt like a showcase in restraint and force — the cello lines often acted like lead guitars, and dynamics were well controlled. It was never bombastic for show’s sake; rather, it had tension, and the crowd’s attention during quieter passages was telling. This was the second time I had seen them live, the first being when they had opened for Six AM

After a short strike of the instruments on stage, it was time for Lindsey Stirling. For those who don’t know, Lindsey brings a unique style to the stage; a classically trained violinist meets electronic beats, and heavily choreographed movement. Her tour with Halestorm gives a little more bite than her solo tours, but she still leans on her signature balance of melody and dance; in short, it is unmistakably Lindsey.

Lindsey does have a storied history in Kansas City, having been stuck in the air when a platform decided not to descend at a performance at Starlight Theater some years ago; thankfully, there were no such technical mishaps this year.

Lindsey’s setlist included all the songs that fans expected to hear, including The Phoenix, Underground, and Artemis. Thanks to a spin-the-wheel game, during which Lindsey spun a wheel to determine which song would be played next, the audience was treated to a very out-of-season, but nonetheless incredible, rendition of Carol of the Bells.

Lindsey slipped easily between energetic, dance-inflected pieces and virtuosic playing. The dancing, the lighting, the music, the choreography, everything went along seamlessly. Lindsey has certainly come a long way, and her out-of-season Christmas music certainly served as a good advertisement for her Christmas tour which will undoubtedly kick off some time in November.

As the headliner, Halestorm had room to stretch out and deliver full-force rock. No strangers to us, we’ve seen them on the mainstage at Rockfest; we’ve seen them at the Midland, we’ve seen them at Starlight, and now we’ve seen them at Providence Medical Wireless Sandstonezura. Their catalog is well known, and a staple across rock radio.

Lzzy Hale fronts with grit and emotional urgency, and in recent shows their setlists tend to include Fallen Star, I Miss the Misery, and a tour debut of Back from the Dead; and yes, Lindsey joined the band for the encore with Shatter Me.

With their sixth studio album, Everest, newly released, the set featured heavily from that album. The set was tight, the music and vocals were on point, and the energy was as electric as it could be; if you’ve seen Halestorm live, you know what the experience was.

I would happily pay to see any one of these artists on their own; to see all three together is a definite treat. This is one tour well worth your attention.

Words and Photos by Josh Chaikin