As soon as I heard the first notes of “Dam that River,” I knew I had discovered a band whose music I would listen to for the rest of my life: Alice in Chains.
Even when compared to their highly creative 1990s peers, Alice in Chains is unique. Labeled “grunge” by the media but actually closer to heavy metal (What is grunge anyway?), most of their songs create a dark and moody atmosphere that provides the perfect sonic backdrop for lyrics that openly discuss depression, addiction, and loneliness. Although these traits might be their trademarks, they hardly define them. Main songwriter Jerry Cantrell (also lead guitarist and co-vocalist) possesses a keen melodic sense that translates just as effectively to mellow acoustic ballads as to powerful riff-driven rockers.
For all these reasons, they have always had a solid spot among my ten favorite rock groups. In fact, the ones that I’d rank above them have either broken up or are currently inactive, so you could say that AiC is my favorite band right now (Don’t get me started on the “reunited” Guns N’ Roses). That’s why when I found out they were coming to New York, I did not hesitate for a second and bought my ticket right away.
Jerry Cantrell at the show last night
Before we get into the specifics of the show, let me provide a brief history of the band: They released their debut album in 1990 (yes, before Nirvana’s “Nevermind”) and it sounded like nothing else at the time. Hair metal dominated mainstream rock and thrash flourished in the underground, but AiC’s grinding, intense hard rock did not fit in either of these categories (Perhaps because of this, they actually opened for both Poison and Slayer. What other band can say something like that?). They released two more full-length studio albums (in 1992 and 1995) and two EPs (in 1992 and 1994) before singer Layne Staley’s health deteriorated past the point of no return in 1996. Although they never officially broke up, after Staley’s death in 2002 it seemed that they were done for good. Enter William DuVall, a talented singer and guitar player who frequently collaborated with Jerry Cantrell. In 2006, he became AiC’s lead singer and they have released two very well-received albums since (with a third one on the way).
William DuVall and Sean Kinney
Fast forward to May 8, 2018, and I am as giddy as can be in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Like I said before, AiC is not only one of my favorite bands, but they’re known as an excellent live band and they also just released a great new song, so I was hyped.
They opened their set with the haunting “Love, Hate, Love,” the song DuVall sang for the rest of the band when he auditioned for the lead singer role. To DuVall’s credit, he doesn’t imitate Staley at all, which I believe has been a big factor in their recent success. He does a great job with Layne’s songs by making them his own, but it’s hard not to miss Staley just a little bit. Before his heroin addiction got the best of him, he was a mesmerizingly powerful and expressive vocalist with a singular tone that spawned legions of imitators and absolutely no equals.
That being said, the band is currently at its best when DuVall and Cantrell are harmonizing. Perhaps the most distinctive element of AiC’s sound was the vocal interplay between Staley and Cantrell, and DuVall’s distinct flavor makes the old songs sound fresh and the new ones sound timeless.
Many fans have lamented that Cantrell doesn’t let DuVall sing by himself enough in their new material, and while there is definitely some truth to this, when the two of them harmonize, it sounds like the Alice in Chains we’ve all come to love. Check out their fantastic take on the underrated “No Excuses“:
I want to take this opportunity to point out that I don’t really like to record much at shows. I’ll take pictures here and there (like the ones you saw above), but I’m old enough to remember what rock concerts were like before the arrival of smartphones, and it’s 100% true that the audience was more “in the moment” back then. Still, I love souvenirs, so I usually record fragments of a few songs so I can watch them when I get nostalgic.
There’s a thought process that goes into what songs I decide to record, and I knew “No Excuses” would be ideal. First of all, it’s a slower tune, so no one would be moshing around me and messing up my video (I foolishly attempted to record “We Die Young,” but had to stop after exactly 9 seconds for this very reason.). Also, even though it was a pretty successful single for the band, it came from their EP “Jar of Flies” and not from any of their three full-length albums. This means that a lot of casual fans have never heard it, so the number of people singing along and ruining the recording would be kept to a minimum (You can still hear a few of them, but I think it’s a pretty good video.). And last but not least, it’s one of my favorite Alice in Chains songs. It’s definitely one of their most melodic and “upbeat,” if you could say such a thing about an AiC track.
Speaking of souvenirs, I managed to snag a pick that was thrown into the audience. It’s a Mike Inez signature bass pick, which was great because I love playing with heavier picks and because what stood out to me the most from the show was how thick and full Inez’ bass sounded. All in all, it was an unforgettable night and an extraordinary concertgoing experience.
Sometimes I think about how sad it is that John Lennon died 7 years before I was born, or that I was in elementary school when Oasis were in their prime, or that it looks like the real GNR will never play another show…but then I remember going to see Aerosmith before they went on hiatus. I remember that I saw Chris Cornell, and sadly, many of his fans will never get that chance. I remember that I was at Rage Against the Machine’s last concert. Now I can add Alice in Chains to that list, and I feel like the most privileged little brat on the planet. In the words of Nas: life is good!
A Journalist Who Bleeds Green 