Daughtry brings rock back to St. Louis

Walking into The Factory before the Daughtry concert felt like walking back into the year 2006. Anyone who was alive back then probably remembers a little show called American Idol. Most of them probably also remember feeling outraged when Chris Daughtry was eliminated from the competition after reaching the top four during the show’s 5th season. After his elimination, controversy about the phone-in voting methods used by the show erupted, causing a tumultuous ending to American Idol‘s most popular season.

Now, almost 15 years later, Chris Daughtry is still making rock music and delivering it to fans across the country.

The show was opened by a band called Lyell. Mixing elements of rock and blues, this band brought a lot of energy to the stage and did a great job warming everyone up for the rest of the show. Lyell ended their set with a downplayed cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which was executed flawlessly, coming across both haunting and beautiful.

Next was American heavy metal band Tremonti, led by frontman Mark Tremonti, best known for his role as the lead guitarist for Creed. The band, which originally started as a solo project for Tremonti, has now evolved into a full-fledged band with five studio albums under their belt. They rocked hard, getting the people of St. Louis’ heads banging and their feet moving.

Last, but definitely not least, was Daughtry.

Not only was the music awesome, but the lights and production were also something to behold. Fans young and old were in awe of the rock show which unfolded in front of them. Powerful guitars, heavy drums and heartfelt lyrics all blasted through the speakers, shaking the venue. The band could definitely rock, but the main attraction was Chris Daughtry’s unique and powerful voice. The energy increased steadily as they went through new songs from their recent album Dearly Beloved and older cuts that fans will remember from the band’s heyday, following their rise to fame after their run on American Idol. Fans sang along to favorites like “No Surprise”, “It’s Not Over” and “Home”.

Midway through the show, Daughtry showed his range by taking a break from the heavy rock and performing a short acoustic arrangement. Slowing down the pace of the show really gave it a more intimate feel and allowed the rocker from North Carolina’s voice to really take the spotlight. After that, it was back to full-throttle: the band returned to the stage and resumed the outpouring of rock that was on pause during the last few songs. As they closed out the show, the audience cheered and sang along, and once the show was over and the band members filed offstage, the crowd continued to roar. It was almost as if the crowd was trying to let the band know that even though they may have been a household name back in 2006, there are still people who remember and rock with the name Daughtry.

Photography by Sean Rider

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