Live-Metal.Net - Concerts: Evanescence

9:30 Club
Washington , D.C.
October 11, 2006

By GREG MAKI

With the news breaking earlier in the day that their latest album, The Open Door, would hit the charts at No. 1, it is fair to say that Evanescence was the hottest rock band in America when their tour brought them to the famed 9:30 Club in the nation’s capitol. Despite a lineup in flux (The Open Door is their first effort without guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody and Tim McCord replaced bassist William Boyd shortly before the album’s release), the band gave a performance worthy of such billing.

From the opening notes of the first song, raven-haired frontwoman Amy Lee had the sold-out crowd in the palm of her hand. And though I’ve never been much of an Evanescence fan, I, too, was captivated. I’ve never thought Lee’s voice was as strong on CD as the songs required. On stage, she carried the show with one of the most powerful and majestic vocal performances I have ever seen. That’s not to say that the band needs carrying. Now led by former Cold axeman Terry Balsamo, they are incredibly tight for being together as a unit for such a short time, flawlessly recreating the studio performances. They should only get better as they continuing touring into next year and move into larger venues.

The set list featured healthy doses of The Open Door and the 2003 release Fallen. The newer material is clearly stronger, as it has a more organic feel, relying less on programmed loops and samples. The band’s breakthrough single, “Bring Me to Life,” however, benefited greatly from the omission of the pseudo-rapping of its chorus. Lee joined the band on piano for the new track “Lithium,” then gave a solo performance of Open Door closer “Good Enough.” She tickled the ivories again during the encore on the Fallen hit “My Immortal.”

The most enthusiastic crowd reactions were reserved for the obvious songs: the aforementioned hits and the current single, “Call Me When You’re Sober.” Though her songs mostly deal with serious, gloomy subjects, Lee was anything but on stage. The brooding figure from the videos was all smiles, laughing and chatting playfully between songs. That kind of attitude is infectious.

The night belonged to Evanescence, but their fans welcomed openers Revelation Theory with open arms. The band made it easy to do, performing an energetic set of melodic hard rock.

This tour is essentially a warm-up run for Evanescence before they hit the big stages. If you don’t already have a ticket for one of these intimate shows, you probably won’t be able to get one. But know that it will be worth the wait when you get the chance to see them on their next tour.