Words by Nathan Leslie
Touring in support of the forthcoming album Darkfighter, Rival Sons midweek stop at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works gave fans a sampling for what’s to come. With the upcoming release set for June 2nd, the band focused heavily on the newer tracks, making up nearly a third of the set. The new tracks were well received by the attentive audience, who likely had not seen any of the new tracks performed live yet.
Rival Sons have played some of the largest festivals and venues in the world, but with the smaller mid week crowd in the spacious venue, the band still poured every bit of energy and soul into the performance. Vocalist Jay Buchanan’s impressive power and range were on display, demanding attention from the concert goers. The mid set track “Jordan” showcased not only the raw power but the range and emotion that sets him apart as a premier vocalist.
Guitarist Scott Holliday’s collection of unique and vintage guitars were played throughout the evening, including multiple double neck guitars. Expanding on the studio tracks with extended solos was a welcome change that added extra flair and uniqueness to the performance.
Opening the evening was LA based Starcrawler. Their mix of hard rock and punk differed from the mostly blues rock of the evening. The second opener, The Record Company’s foot stomping blues rock mix made a nice transition into the Rival Sons headlining set.