The Cult at The Venue at Thunder Valley on September 28, 2024 was a stunning event. The venue was also just as spectacular, the 4,500-seat space is perfect for any event. This was an epic show that brought Deafheaven out with them to round out the evening.
Deafheaven took the stage with an electrifying presence, perfectly suited for this show. Hailing from San Francisco, California, the band kicked off their set with “Brought to the Water” and captivated the audience by getting them dancing in their seats and aisles. They continued to impress as they performed songs like “Sunbather,” “Gifts For the Earth,” and “Great Mass of Color.” They showcased their musical diversity with a slowed-down rendition of “Canary Yellow,” which was well-received by the crowd. Transitioning to “Black Brick,” they delivered an intense performance, and finally closed with “Dream House,” leaving a lasting impact on the audience as it was an incredible rendition of the song that had everyone cheering for more.
Deafheaven band members:
George Clarke – lead vocals
Kerry McCoy – guitar, bass
Daniel Tracy – drums (2012–present)
Shiv Mehra – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Chris Johnson – bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1). Brought to the Water
2). Sunbather
3). Gifts for the Earth
4). In Blur
5). Great Mass of Color
6). Canary Yellow
7). Black Brick
8). Dream House
The crowd went wild with excitement when the Cult made their way onto the stage. Starting their set with “In the Clouds,” the crowd roared excitedly as the band rocked it. Next, they played “Rise” right after that and Ian Asbury sounded great. They broke into “Wild Flower” driving the crowd crazy, and they were singing along with them. It was a hit for sure. “Star” was next, off their 1994 album The Cult, and was as fitting now as it was back then. It’s amazing what 20 years does to a song every once in a while.
“The Witch” and “Mirror” were more of the same with The Cult rocking out. “War (The Process) began with Ian saying there are entertainers and there are savages, and the Cult are savages. They hit that song like it was meant to be and killed it. But, when they played “Resurrection Joe” it was different, that song brought us back 30 years from their debut album Dreamtime. That song was incredible and filled with so many memories. The song “Edie (Ciao Baby)” was an acoustic song that had just Billy and Ian on track and it was magical. Billy’s acoustic work on guitar is truly fabulous.
“Sweet Soul Sister” off the 1989 album Sonic Temple is always a crowd favorite and the surprise of the night was “L.A. Woman” by The Doors in the middle of the song to, spruce things up a bit. When the band played “Rain,” the crowd went crazy as they played like they were on a mission and it showed. Ian talked it up a little bit before they broke into “Spiritwalker” and that song slayed the audience with every note. From there they jumped into “Love Removal Machine” with a short intro to keep the crowd entertained. The most memorable parts of the song were Billy and Charlie singing backup vocals that consisted of them doing talking ’bout love which was amazing.
After a short break, they jumped into their encores starting with “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” and that brought the energy down, in a good way. That song was mellow and whimsical in its melody which the crowd appreciated. To end the show, they busted out “She Sells Sanctuary” and it floored the audience. That was the perfect song to end the show. The words and the music were a show-stopping hit. When it ended, the crowd gave a stirring round of applause that lasted several minutes. Just before they left the stage, they introduced the band. And with that… They were gone.
The Cult band members:
Ian Astbury – lead vocals, percussion
Billy Duffy – guitars
John Tempesta – drums, percussion
Charlie Jones – bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1). In the Clouds
2). Rise
3). Wild Flower
4). Star
5). The Witch
6). Mirror
7). War (The Process)
8). Resurrection Joe
9). Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic)
10). Sweet Soul Sister (with The Doors‘ “L.A. Woman” snippet)
11). Lucifer
12). Fire Woman
13). Rain
14). Spiritwalker
15). Love Removal Machine
Encore:
16). Brother Wolf, Sister Moon
17). She Sells Sanctuary
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Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
