97.1 The Eagle’s BFD 2012

Heat can’t stop Dallas from rocking out

Despite the intense heat, fans came out in force Sunday night to catch 97.1 The Eagle’s BFD concert at Gexa. And with a line up consisting of EVANESCENCE, CHEVELLE, HELLYEAH, HALESTORM, CANDLEBOX and ARANDA it was definitely worth it.

Oklahoma City based ARANDA started off the show and even though a lot of the people in the crowd didn’t know who they were, the band won them over by the end of their rather short set. A really tight band, ARANDA worked the stage just as well as any of the bigger acts and had fun doing it. Though the majority of the set was songs off their new album, they still wrapped things up with what is still my favorite song of theirs, “Whyyawannabringmedown”.

CANDLEBOX came up next and made it clear that they still know how to rock. After a hiatus of a few years the band reunited in 2006 and have since released two albums. Supporting their current album, which was released in April this year, the band seemed tight and put on a good show.

If there’s one band that really surprised a lot of people it was surely HALESTORM. I overheard several say they hadn’t heard of the band or had only been told of them by friends but these people were quickly turned into fans. Lzzy came out with more energy that a person that tiny should be able to hold and rocked the hell out of the BFD stage. “Love Bites” and “Mz Hyde” had everyone singing along and “Rock Show” certainly spoke to many of the people there. HALESTORM is a band to watch, no doubt.

Even though their set was during what was probably the hottest times of the afternoon, it didn’t stop HELLYEAH from putting on one hell of a set. Obviously a local favorite the fans had just as much energy as the band and the mosh pits and crowd surfing began right away.

CHEVELLE was out to support their latest album, Hats Off to the Bull. While I really like CHEVELLE, this set was the most disappointing for me. Musically the sound seemed a bit off and muddied. Photography wise the band’s management never got back to anyone on the photo requests so this was the only band that no one took pictures of the entire night. One would think, given that it’s the start of a tour for them, they might want pictures. I love the new album, but this set was just not quite up to par. Hopefully they’ll have the kinks sorted out before their next show.

EVANESCENCE wrapped things up with a fantastic set that definitely had the crowd singing along. While the set itself seemed to be very similar to the last time I saw them at Palladium, it was nice to see the ban on a larger stage with better lighting and really seeming to enjoy themselves. Amy Lee, as always, sounded strong and if this show was any indication their new tour will definitely be one you won’t want to miss.

EVANESCENCE, CHEVELLE, and HALESTORM can be seen on the CARNIVAL OF MADNESS tour starting July 31st so get your tickets now.

Evanescence