There’s loud, and then there’s AC/DC tearing the sky open with a guitar solo.
There are bands, and then there’s AC/DC—a blueprint, not just for rock, but for loud, dirty, unapologetic energy. Formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, AC/DC turned stripped-down riffs and defiant vocals into a global legacy. They’ve sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. Back in Black alone is one of the top-selling records of all time. This isn’t just a band with hits—they defined the sound of stadium rock.
And for me, it started far from a stadium. I was a teenager in Jinotega, Nicaragua, hanging around a small seafood joint called Juan Morado. The owner had a copy of AC/DC Live in Detroit on DVD—and the biggest TV in town. We watched it like a ritual. No internet, no live shows, just that grainy footage, the volume maxed out, pretending we were there.
The Pretty Reckless opened with intention. The New York band, fronted by Taylor Momsen, has been building their own legacy since 2010. Their sound—equal parts grunge, goth, and arena rock—landed with precision. No filler.
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Death by Rock and Roll
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Since You’re Gone
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Follow Me Down
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Only Love Can Save Me Now
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Witches Burn
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Make Me Wanna Die
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Going to Hell
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Heaven Knows
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Take Me Down
They didn’t ask for attention—they took it. Momsen’s delivery was razor sharp. The band didn’t try to outdo what came next. They just played hard and left the place charged.
The Setlist:
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If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
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Back in Black
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Demon Fire
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Shot Down in Flames
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Thunderstruck
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Have a Drink on Me
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Hells Bells
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Shot in the Dark
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Stiff Upper Lip
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Highway to Hell
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Shoot to Thrill
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Sin City
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Train
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Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Angus tossed in a few vocal lines)
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High Voltage
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Riff Raff
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You Shook Me All Night Long (Brian dropped the now-legendary “Nashville thighs” line)
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Whole Lotta Rosie
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Let There Be Rock – featuring a 22-minute Angus Young solo on a platform rising into the crowd
Encore:
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T.N.T.
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For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) – with a full 21-gun salute and fireworks lighting up the Nashville sky
The stage was pure impact. Massive LED walls beamed every snarl, solo, and stomp. A wide catwalk gave Angus plenty of space to prowl. The light show was all sharp contrast—reds, whites, and deep shadows that hit in sync with the music. When Let There Be Rock hit its solo section, and Angus rose into the air still hammering the fretboard, the whole crowd tilted back in awe. It was unreal. Every section of that stadium was roaring.
And it wasn’t just volume. It was discipline. Brian Johnson sounded strong. The band was locked in. No rambling. No downtime. Just two hours of relentless drive.
This wasn’t about looking back. It was about how much this band still holds. From a kid watching DVDs in a Nicaraguan mountain town to standing in front of the real thing in Nashville—that’s a hell of a leap. And AC/DC made it feel like no time had passed at all.