The perfect female storm hit Portsmouth, Virginia’s waterside district on Friday, August 12, 2022. Matrons of metal Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, The Warning, and Eva Under Fire performed the last concert of Halestorm’s Summer Tour 2022, on the banks of the Elizabeth River on a perfect summer evening with temperatures finally down in the 80’s. The Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion, which holds 6,500, seemed to be filling up as the night went on as anticipation grew for the headliner.
First up, Eva Under Fire, standing in for Lilith Czar, rocked the amphitheater with “Comatose,” “Heroin(e),” and my personal favorite, “Unstoppable.” Lead singer Eva Marie’s earthshaking voice nearly blew the roof off the amphitheater, and I heard many crowd comments about how they preferred her to the other opening bands of the night. In this, her first arena performance, Eva Marie performed four singles from her new album Love, Drugs & Misery which is set to be released in September. She finished her powerhouse set with her latest single “Blow.”
Eva Under Fire Band Members:
Amanda “Eva Marie” Lyberg – lead vocals
Rob Lyberg – guitar
Chris Slapnik – guitar and vocals
Edward Joseph – bass
Corey Newsom – drums
Eva Under Fire Setlist
- Comatose
2. Heroin(e)
3. Unstoppable
4. The Strong
5. Coming for Blood
6. Separate Ways (Journey Cover)
7. Blow
The Warning, a trio of sisters from Monterrey, Mexico, seemed to have the most fun performing than any other band of the night. The lead singer Dany floated across the stage delivering heavy riffs on guitar, one of which was given to her by Lzzy Hale. Over half the songs on their setlist came from the new album, ERROR. Playing together for nearly ten years, their dynamic, high-octane rock and roll kept the audience on their feet and hungry for more.
The Warning Band Members
Daniela Villarreal – lead vocals, lead guitar
Paulina Villarreal – drums
Alejandra Villarreal – bass
The Warning Setlist:
1.) Dust to Dust
2.) Z
3.) Queen of the Murder Scene
4.) CHOKE
5.) MONEY
6.) Enter Sandman (Metallica cover)
7.) ERROR
8.) DISCIPLE
9.) EVOLVE
Taylor Momsen and her band graced the stage for The Pretty Reckless enveloped in fog so thick, they could hardly be seen. The set began with “Loud Love (Soundgarden cover)” as Taylor paced back and forth with powerful, mesmerizing vocals. With many years of acting experience, she naturally had an incredible stage presence keeping the crowd’s attention throughout the 10-song set. On the last song, “Take Me Down,” she added her touch on guitar to the mix.
The Pretty Reckless Band Members
Taylor Momsen – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Ben Phillips – Lead guitar, backing vocals
Jamie Perkins – Drums
Mark Damon – Bass
The Pretty Reckless Setlist
1. Loud Love (Soundgarden cover)
2. Since You’re Gone
3. Only Love Can Save Me Now
4. Death by Rock and Roll
5. Make Me Wanna Die
6. Witches Burn
7. Got So High
8. Going to Hell
9. Heaven Knows
10. Take Me Down
Grammy-winning hard rock/heavy metal band, Halestorm, began with an ominous drum solo before the curtain dropped. Lead singer Lzzy then descended the staircase in red leather boots and belted, “I’m back from the dead!” with a scream so shrill it could probably be heard across the Elizabeth River. “Back From the Dead” is the title song to their fifth and latest studio album.
This experienced band from Pennsylvania has been together for approximately two decades, which is obvious from their production and musicianship. The incredible lighting rivaled that of the most seasoned rock bands. One of my favorite things about this band, besides Lzzy’s powerhouse voice, was the fact that the drummer, Arejay, was perched atop a tall platform with no drums or cymbals obscuring his face. His performance and expressions alone provide constant entertainment. His drum solo was amazing, and he even broke out gigantic drumsticks.
Lzzy Hale was a force to be reckoned with. It’s nothing short of astonishing that she could sustain her powerhouse voice through the 17-song setlist with only a 2-song break at the piano for “Break In” and “Raise Your Horns,” which were just a little quieter. Lzzy and her guitarists Jon and Josh had shining moments shredding throughout. Most impressive of all, Lzzy always kept an upbeat attitude constantly encouraging the fans throughout the night instead of spreading despair and hopelessness, which is so common today. Overall, it’s no wonder the band has over a billion streams worldwide.
Halestorm Band Members
Lzzy Hale – Lead Vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano
Arejay Hale – Drums, backing vocals
Joe Hottinger – Lead Guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Josh Smith – Bass, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Halestorm Setlist
1. Back From the Dead
2. Wicked Ways
3. Love Bites (So Do I)
4. Bombshell
5. Hyde
6. Psycho Crazy
7. Apocalyptic
8. I Am the Fire
9. Break In (Lzzy piano solo)
10. Raise Your Horns (Lzzy solo)
11. Strange Girl
12. Drum Solo by AreJay Hale
13. I Miss the Misery
14. Freak Like Me
15. I Get Off
Encore:
16. Here’s to Us
17. The Steeple
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
