This past weekend at the Ritz, Seether, along with 10 Years and Within Reason, Seether’s opening bands, rocked Raleigh to its core.
Being a huge Seether fan, I had seen videos of them live and was slightly unimpressed. Needless to say, I was skeptical towards the beginning of the concert.
I was at the front of the line when the doors opened to make sure I could get to the front. When the first opening bands came on stage, I whipped out my phone to avoid possible boredom. That was not the case.
The opening bands 10 Years and Within Reason did so well that they could’ve headlined the concert. They were very fan-focused, with the lead singer of 10 Years jumping off of the stage and crowd surfing. Doing this made their act a lot more enjoyable for me. I thought to myself, if the opening acts did well, then the main event must be ten times better.
As Seether came on stage, The Ritz erupted in cheers and applause. When they opened with one of their most famous songs, Gasoline, the venue only got louder. They started off by playing some older and more popular songs like “Gasoline” and “Fine Again” to help really get the crowd going. Since the tour was to promote their new album Isolate and Medicate, I assumed a majority of their setlist would come from the new album. Some new songs were mixed in, but their older material consumed a majority of the show.
For me, this made the show more enjoyable. It would’ve been nice to hear a lot of new material, but getting to listen to songs that I grew up listening to made the concert special for me. Having some new songs like “Words As Weapons” and “My Disaster” mixed in, though, added to the novelty of the concert.
However, as the concert came to a close, I felt like there was something missing; a certain song that would make this my most memorable concert. As soon as I thought this, they began to play that song. Their song “Remedy”, the one song that got them where they are today, ended up being the most hyped. “Remedy” is also special to me because it is the first Seether song I had ever heard and what ultimately got me interested in rock music. After that, I was able to leave feeling satisfied.
Overly priced merchandise and food, hot and noisy crowds, and practically standing all evening to see Seether perform was all worth it for how great the live music was.
As my ears and head continue to recover from the loud concert, I patiently await Seether’s hopeful return to the Triangle Area in the near future.
