Adelitas Way slays sold out crowd in Michigan

For four rock bands that are still up-and-coming, they sure had the energy and passion of a sold out heavy metal arena show! For me, I believe that artists, no matter the genre, put on the best shows when they keep moving and interacting with the crowd. The production means nothing without the correct stage presence. The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan is the perfect venue to experience this kind of intimacy. The pit is small enough that bands can get close and personal with their fans. Everyone that performed there on May 5th did not waste the opportunity to do just that!

Above Snakes started the night with a mix of hard rock and rap, giving us a Dropout Kings vibe. They did a fantastic job hyping up the crowd for the next three artists. Plus, it’s hard to keep your eyes off Johnny Skulls (vocals) as he rocks out.

Moon Fever is a band you cannot forget easily. Even though they were the second on stage, these guys put so much of their heart and soul into their performance and were having so much fun that they were practically tripping over each other. There was almost no moment when the lead singer, Triston Bracht, was not at the edge of the stage interacting with the crowd. Troy Wageman (drums) is not the type of guy to focus on his instrument, fade into the background, and have no personality. It was clear that he was there to have a good time with good people.

The third band to perform was Otherwise. When Adrian Patrick (lead vocals) sings and talks to the crowd, it is like he stares into your soul. He is not afraid to look into your eyes and say whatever is on his mind. Pretty sure that bassist, Sean Fitzpatrick, this most recent member of the band, did not stop banging his head once while playing the bass during Otherwise’s set.  

The last performance of the night was Adelitas Way. Adelitas Way is one of those bands that are so severely underrated it should be a crime. After four years of not seeing these guys, I almost forgot why I enjoy watching them perform.

The entire setlist was perfect from the moment they played “Bad Reputation” all the way to “Invincible.” I was already destroyed from the first three songs!

Rick DeJesus (founding member, lead vocals) might as well wear the microphone cord as part of his outfit since he is always wrapping it around his arms. Seeing Andrew Cushing (bass, backing vocals), who believes the bass is better than the guitar, and Grayson Erhard (lead guitar), jam together towards the end of the night was an added bonus to an amazing set and I thought it was sweet of the guys to call out anyone that had a birthday.

Listening to the lyrics of all four bands and what they have to say, they communicate the rebellion that the rock genre brings but in the same vein, can communicate how much fun they can have on stage and how much they love their fans and each other. It does not matter how mad at the world we are or how bad our lives are or how much an outcast we are. Concerts are a way to bring people together and seeing the bands perform on stage the way they did is a reminder of that.

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