STABBING WESTWARD RECEIVES HUGE TURN-OUT FOR 20-YEAR ALBUM ANNIVERSARY

Stabbing Westward “Darkest Days” Anniversary Tour

House of Blues, Chicago, IL, USA, November 3, 2018

By: Jenafur Schlangen

Sometimes, all we want to do is go back in time and revisit the “good ‘ol days.” You know exactly what I mean. We have all been there. To go back to those days

before life grabbed us by the proverbial balls and shook the naivety right out of us, waking us with such force that we had no choice but to accept our own personal growth and conform into responsible and productive adults. But, we all remember those late nights so long ago, standing (or jumping) in front of a stage, all the

while and in front of us, our favorite band would shove their anthem into our ear holes as eagerly as we would allow it. Lucky for me and more than a thousand other fans in Chicago on November 3, 2018, back in time is exactly where we traveled and man, it was an excellent trip! Our captain: Stabbing Westward.

Personally, one of my all-time favorite things about this band is that they are genuinely a nice group of people. I mean, don’t get me wrong… their widely popular industrial rock anthems are definitely a key to their success however, playing the karma game like a boss by just being kind to others has most certainly added a few feathers to their wings of prosperity. I personally witnessed this kindness prior to their appearance in Chicago and have heard several firsthand accounts echoing the same opinion.

The band was formed in 1986, from humble beginnings in Central Illinois (Macomb, IL, to be exact) and have enjoyed a lucrative career, producing a total of four emotionally and energy-packed albums. However, experiencing issues with their record label (Columbia), likely causing a bit of internal strife, the band took an almost 15-year hiatus. It was during this time that Christopher Hall (vocals) formed the band The Dreaming. Ultimately, one of Stabbing Westward’s founding members and decades-long friend of Hall, (Walter Flakus — keyboards/guitar) would join in The Dreaming, perhaps planting the initial (and unintentional) seed for the rebirth of Stabbing Westward in the few short years that followed.

Having done a bit of research on this band, outside of my own personal love of their music, I can say with certainty that they actually give a

shit about their fans, which is why I believe they chose to reunite for an official tour in order to celebrate 20 years since the release of their overwhelmingly popular album, “Darkest Days.” And, by performing the album in its entirety, let alone with their level of energy and intensity, it became crystal clear that this tour was not only an album anniversary

celebration, it was a legitimate homage to their fans. Thus, the nearly sold-out House of Blues was literally shaking on its foundation in appreciation, myself included.

Prior to their set, I had a moment to sit down with Walter Flakus (keys & second guitar), just to ask him what the fans should expect from the night’s show. His response was simple. He told me (and, I am paraphrasing here) what should be expected is emotion…and a lot of it. He reminded me of how the tracks on the Darkest Days album have their ups and downs [emotionally], and their performance will mirror that exact sentiment. He was most certainly right. From the initial note to the encore performance, the entire show was packed chalk full of emotion and static energy. It was, by far, one of the best live shows I have seen in 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Tour Dates –

• 2018: 11/16 Billings, MT  Pub Station Ballroom
• 11/17 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
• 12/14 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
• 12/15 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
• 12/16 Houston, TX Scout Bar

Chicago Set List:

1. Darkest Days

2. Everything I Touch

3. Drugstore

4. Save Yourself

5. Haunting Me

6. Torn Apart

7. Sometimes It Hurts

8. Drowning

9. Desperate Now

10. The Thing I Hate

11. On Your Way Down

12. Waking Up Beside You

13. Nothing

14. So Far Away

15. Lies

16. What Do I Have to Do?

17. Violent Mood Swings

18. Shame

Stabbing Westward:

Christopher Hall (vocals) Walter Flakus (keys and second guitar) Marcus Eliopulos (lead guitar) Carlton Bost (bass) Bobby Amaro (drums)

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