RED rocks for the Lord with friends in Flint, Michigan

The Machine Shop exploded with energy on the night of September 12th, 2024. Don’t take any band for granted at this venue… Or maybe you should, because you would have been pleasantly shocked and changed your mind.

The first band to come onstage was Kingdom Collapse, hailing straight from Texas.

Guitarist David Work and bassist Aaron Smith immediately engaged the crowd with the energy they unleashed. Lead singer Jon, after the third song, encouraged the crowd to have the best time of their lives for the rest of the night. Later, David shared that he was from Michigan! So coming to Flint was like a trip home for him. Kingdom Collapse kept up the energy for the rest of their set.

Next up was Adelitas Way. I was already super excited to see them after watching their show when they opened for Skillet. They didn’t disappoint then and they didn’t disappoint in Flint! My eyes were drawn straight to Greyson Erhard, guitarist; this guy completely shreds and pulls out all the tricks and solos during shows. Him and bassist Andrew Cushing slammed and slapped on their instruments, showing off their skills after “Ready For War”. Make sure you pay attention to that part if you ever get to see Adelitas Way! We can’t forget Rick DeJesus, who was everywhere on the stage, wrapping the mic cord around his arms. I’m still surprised he didn’t trip! Trevor, even though he was in the back playing drums, broke sticks from wailing on them and throwing them in the air.

These guys could have headlined the tour and I wouldn’t have been mad.

That is, if RED wasn’t the last band to hit the stage! I almost forgot how good they are. They started off with their latest single, “Surrogates”, and practically declared themselves the loudest band while at it. Twins Anthony and Randy Armstrong were on either side of singer Michael Barnes as they all banged their heads through each and every song. Brian Medieros, the newest drummer of the band, easily kept up with these guys as they blasted through the set. You almost forget this band makes music for the Lord himself. Each song RED performed, the entire crowd would sing all the lyrics and throw their entire bodies into it. It was easy to tell God was moving in a powerful way that night, using rock music for his glory. It truly was beautiful to watch.

The night ended much too soon and, before I knew it, the parking lot was empty once again. The Machine Shop brought in some very talented musicians this night. If you ever go to this venue or see these bands come up in a town near you, see the show. You won’t regret it.

Photography by Kayla N. Rising

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