2008 Woodie Awards
Killswitch engages audience at Webster
Kyle Andrukiewicz
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Arts&Entertainment
Some of the best acts in heavy metal visited the Webster Theater last week for a sold-out show. Despite the Webster's bad location, horrible parking situation, and unnecessarily strict rules, Killswitch Engage, Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die and Parkway Drive put on an incredible live show that nearly made you forget where you were.
Two weeks before the concert, The Chronicle had a chance to talk with Joel Stroetzel, guitarist for Killswitch Engage, while the tour was in Little Rock, Ark. He talked about how this diverse line-up came about.
"We kind of just came up with a bunch of names," Stroetzel said. "We probably thought about 10 or 15 bands we liked, you know, and just sent e-mails out, feelers, tried to see who was interested. From the people who responded back, we tried to pick who would be the funnest, best bill."
After playing the Warped Tour last summer, Killswitch attracted a lot of punk and hardcore fans. Stroetzel said after playing a "super metal tour" with Lamb of God, DevilDriver, and Soilwork in the fall, the band wanted to do something that would bring those fans back rather than scare them away.
In order to do that, the band tapped some old friends to join them in Every Time I Die. Stroetzel said they had not toured with ETID since Killswitch's first tour.
"We've been wanting to do something with Every Time I Die again for a long time. Those guys are so rad man. Just a great band and good friends of ours," he said.
Every Time I Die definitely lived up to the hype from Stroetzel, playing a live set that put their recorded material to shame.
The Australian Parkway Drive also played a solid show while Dillinger Escape Plan left everyone mesmerized with their constantly changing tempos and incredibly technical musicianship.
The true stars of the night were the headliners. As something of a homecoming for the Massachusetts metal band (especially lead vocalist Howard Jones who lives in Connecticut), the fans finished out the tour in style, completely ignoring the Webster's no moshing rules and erupting into a massive pit. The chaotic energy was infectious and prompted Jones to take multiple stage dives into the crowd. That, along with Jones and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz's constant back and forth banter and hijinx entertained the crowd and made it a night to remember.
Two weeks before the concert, The Chronicle had a chance to talk with Joel Stroetzel, guitarist for Killswitch Engage, while the tour was in Little Rock, Ark. He talked about how this diverse line-up came about.
"We kind of just came up with a bunch of names," Stroetzel said. "We probably thought about 10 or 15 bands we liked, you know, and just sent e-mails out, feelers, tried to see who was interested. From the people who responded back, we tried to pick who would be the funnest, best bill."
After playing the Warped Tour last summer, Killswitch attracted a lot of punk and hardcore fans. Stroetzel said after playing a "super metal tour" with Lamb of God, DevilDriver, and Soilwork in the fall, the band wanted to do something that would bring those fans back rather than scare them away.
In order to do that, the band tapped some old friends to join them in Every Time I Die. Stroetzel said they had not toured with ETID since Killswitch's first tour.
"We've been wanting to do something with Every Time I Die again for a long time. Those guys are so rad man. Just a great band and good friends of ours," he said.
Every Time I Die definitely lived up to the hype from Stroetzel, playing a live set that put their recorded material to shame.
The Australian Parkway Drive also played a solid show while Dillinger Escape Plan left everyone mesmerized with their constantly changing tempos and incredibly technical musicianship.
The true stars of the night were the headliners. As something of a homecoming for the Massachusetts metal band (especially lead vocalist Howard Jones who lives in Connecticut), the fans finished out the tour in style, completely ignoring the Webster's no moshing rules and erupting into a massive pit. The chaotic energy was infectious and prompted Jones to take multiple stage dives into the crowd. That, along with Jones and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz's constant back and forth banter and hijinx entertained the crowd and made it a night to remember.
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