2018 was a hell of a year for live shows. It started off slow and while I had totally intended to whittle down this list to six shows like last year, it was damn year impossible so this year, I present with you my top show of the year and the other 10 best shows I saw all year. Without further adieu, let’s rock!
SHOW OF THE YEAR
Sabaton
March 11, 2018
The Buckhead Theater – Atlanta, GA
Sabaton marched into Atlanta on a rainy, cold March evening and performed their biggest headline show in Atlanta to date to a sold out Buckhead Theater. While they didn’t bring the tank they brought with the fucking fire in a huge way and they played harder and better than I have ever seen them. These guys will be an arena band before we know it. This show was pure magic and there wasn’t a show this year that came close to even touching the excitement, the fire, and the hunger of Sabaton. This is a band destined to take over the world and so far, they are really fucking close!
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17592
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Marillion
February, 10 2018
Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
Before this show, Marillion, to me, was just a name. A name of a band I had no interest in nor did I ever think that I would have interest in them. My good friend Kim heard they were playing in Atlanta and she persuaded me to go check them out. Before doing so, I checked out their most recent album FEAR and suddenly I was mesmerized. Seeing Marillion live was breathtaking, emotional, spiritual, and life changing. It was way beyond anything I imagined it would be and it was a show that I will never forget for as long as I live.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17550
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Zebra
November 11, 2018
Buford, GA – 37 Main
It had been over 26 years since legendary New Orleans rockers Zebra has been to Atlanta. Hell, it had been longer than that since I had seen them live so to finally get to see them again was like seeing an old friend. The minute Zebra kicked in with “As I Said Before” as their now signature opener it was as if time completely stood still. These guys sounded flawless and absolutely untouched by the years. Randy Jackson’s vocals and mind blowing guitar playing, Felix Hanneman’s magnetic and energetic stage presence, and the awe inspiring playing of drummer Guy Gelso were all things that you just had to see. There’s no way in hell that this show would not make this list. Hell, it’s up there with one of my all time favorite shows to be honest and it was the better than I could ever imagine.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17946
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Operation Mindcrime
June 25, 2018
Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Geoff Tate returned to Atlanta once again to celebrate 30 years of Operation Mindcrime. This time around, Geoff had a whole new lineup of young guys backing him up and this alone took Geoff’s performance to a whole new level. Geoff looked and sounded better than he has in years and he was full energy, charisma, and fire. Geoff took a page from the Alice Cooper handbook: Surround yourself with young blood and you will remember youth and feel young again. Everything about this performance was perfect and it still proves to me that Geoff is so much better on his own than without Queensryche.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17773
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Judas Priest
September 14, 2018
Verizon Amphitheater – Alpharetta, GA
Judas Priest returned to Atlanta in support of their latest album, Firepower, which is their best since Screaming for Vengeance in my opinion. Rob Halford sounded absolutely amazing and was so full of charisma and you can tell he was charged up. While Glen Tipton was definitely missed, Andy Sneap really has done a great job stepping in and injecting The Priest with another dose of youthful musicianship. This was the best I have seen Priest since the Painkiller tour and if this tour is any indication, The Priest still has some fuel left in the tank to last them a good while.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17859
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Richie Kotzen
April 23, 2018
City Winery – Atlanta, GA
Richie Kotzen really caught me completely off guard with a stellar performance at City Winery here in Atlanta. His nearly 2 hour performance of his solo material ran the gamut of face ripping rock n’ roll to soulful piano lead ballads. Richie and his band really blew me away with this performance which very quickly lead me to catching up with all of this amazing material that I let fly completely under my radar over the years. This is definitely a show not to be missed ever!
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17655
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Alice in Chains/Walking Papers
May 10, 2018
The Roxy – Atlanta, GA
Finally getting to see Alice in Chains with William DuVall was such a fucking treat and it was well worth the wait. Kicking off the show was Walking Papers who easily put on one of the best live performances I’ve seen in a long time and Alice in Chains left me feeling absolutely speechless. DuVall does an amazing job carrying on the legacy of Layne Staley but doing it in his own way as opposed to trying to be a clone. Walking Papers and Alice in Chains was a double bill that complete complimented each other but made for a diverse and exciting night of music. It was definitely a magical night to say the least.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17693
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Monster Magnet/Electric Citizen
October 23, 2018
The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Getting to see my Electric Citizen kids grow up over the years has been such a fucking treat to see them as direct support for Monster Magnet this year left me feeling like a proud papa! Supporting their 2018 album Helltown, Electric Citizen gave Monster Magnet a serious run for their money. Monster Magnet did end up pulling it off in a huge way and after not having seen them in over 20 years, it was mindblowing to see lead singer/guitarist Dave Wyndorf in such amazing form as the band fueled threw a facemelting set that played like an anthology of their career.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17925
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Junkyard
February 17th, 2018
37 Main – Buford GA
Junkyard was one of those bands that I absolutely loved as young high schooler but if you would’ve ever told me I’d get to see them live again at 45, I never would’ve believed it. Thanks to Scoley Entertainment, Junkyard was back in the Atlanta area and sounding and looking as good if not better than they did the last time I saw them in 1990 or so. The band’s sleazy brand of rock and roll has stood the test of time and Junkyard proved that not only can they still do it but that they can still do it better than most.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17559
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Cloak
July 28, 2018
Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA
I can count on one hand how many Atlanta bands I actually think are worth leaving the house for and Cloak is without a doubt on the top of that list. While black metal isn’t my primary jam, Cloak definitely scratches an itch for me. Melodic black metal with epic arrangements of Iron Maiden proportions and the fact that they don’t down tune their guitars so low that it sounds like the key of mud is a huge plus. It’s also really refreshing and fun to see a local band actually put forward the effort of putting on a stage performance that makes as big an impact as their music does.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17791
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Savage Master
April 18, 2018
The 529 – Atlanta, GA
Much like with Electric Citizen, I feel like I have watched Savage Master grow up. From this kind of green, fledgling metal band opening for Christian Mistress to being able to hold their own as headliners, Savage Master has quickly moved up the ranks. When Savage Master pulled into Atlanta to headline a show at the 539, I could tell right away that this is a band that has learned the lessons of being a touring band and learned all of the right lessons at that. It makes me proud to see them putting on such amazing live performances and putting out such great music that I can only guess we are just seeing a fraction of what this band has in store for us.
Review Link: https://southeastofheaven.com/?p=17649
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