Candlebox kicks off the Fremont Street Summer Concert Series with Cracker.
Every year the fans in Las Vegas wait to see who the free concerts will be for Fremont Street’s One Louder Summer Concert series. This summer, they kick it off Memorial Day weekend with Candlebox and Cracker. They have an eclectic lineup this summer, differing from the rock-focused lineups of the past, but starting this off with some nineties grunge is pretty exciting for the crowd. Cracker were added to this show recently and the crowd clearly appreciates that making a strong night even stronger.
Cracker haven’t played Las Vegas in about two years so it is not surprising to see the size of the crowd that has gathered for them. Hailing from Georgia, they have a sound that is all their own mixing rock, country, and soul. It is very clearly Cracker when you hear them. They play for about an hour and cover the songs people want to hear including “Low,” and “Euro-Trash Girl” which perfectly gets the crowd ready for Candlebox.
Shortly after 9:30PM Candlebox takes the stage and by this time the crowd is huge. This Seattle based grunge group are best known for their self-titled debut album so it is not surprising that they open the set with “Change” from that album. The set is very focused on that album performing other songs like “Blossom” and “You,” which is perfect for this crowd and exactly what they want to hear. Kevin Martin talks to the crowd after almost every song sharing stories about their formation in Seattle and even commenting on how he hates their second album, Lucy. The crowd loves all of this. It is clear he and the rest of the band are here to deliver a killer set of songs the crowd want to hear. Martin is the only original member left, but Brian Quinn (guitar), Island Styles (guitar), Adam Kury (bass), and Robin Diaz (drums) deliver the signature Candlebox sound and put on an amazing show.
Martin takes the time to get a “little political” before performing “Cover Me.” He takes a poll of the crowd, surveying the different religions in attendance and explains that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as it is important to you and that we are all the same. During this song some religious protesters arrive carrying signs, Martin makes it clear that their hate isn’t welcome here and for them to keep moving. This is not the only moment of the night where you can feel his passion and emotion. Another comes when he is introducing “Far Behind,” a song that was written for the late Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone. While this song is twenty-five years old, it is clear the emotion is still there and Martin explains this is one song that never changes in their set.
After all this intensity you would think we are done, but they have one more impassioned moment for the crowd. Before the last song which is dedicated to Chris Cornell, Martin talks to the crowd saying no matter what the situation is, suicide is never the answer and to reach out to anyone including him. He explains he runs the social media for the band so reach out to him and he will help. This is an amazing, classy, real moment that leaves the crowd in awe.
Candlebox delivers exactly what everyone wants, an intense set that highlights their self-titled debut album mixed in with other tracks from their catalog. This is the perfect way to kick off Memorial Day weekend which is filled with other shows including Pink and Punk Rock Bowling. They set the bar high for the upcoming shows and the crowd is sure to return for those after this performance.
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Candlebox
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Cracker
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Event Date: 25-MAY-2018