Skillet: Awake and Alive as ever

By Emily Reeping

Whiplash, a sore throat, and exhaustion are impossible to avoid after attending a loud rock concert. These were certainly inescapable for every fan who attended the Skillet concert on Friday, Nov. 5.

The concert opened with a spectacular performance from the Christian rock band Letter Black. Although Letter Black is not widely known, the crowd was pleased to find that this "under the radar band" was very similar in style to who they had come to see. The one downer to this band was that their instruments overpowered the vocals so it was hard to understand the lyrics, but it was still an awesome performance.

Following Letter Black was a killer performance by another Christian rock band Decyfer Down. With strong vocals and vibrant instrumentals, Decyfer Down blew the audience away. Their songs weren't very widely known, and those who did not know them walked away as fans.

After Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, another Christian band, gave a stunning performance to tie it all up before the main event of the night began. Their songs were well known as the band is relatively popular in today's society, which was responsible for the fact that most of the crowd was singing and rocking out to their whole routine.

One of the best parts of Hawk Nelson's performance was the fact that they interacted with and spoke to the crowd. They didn't just stand up on the stage and sing like most other opening acts do. They spoke of Jesus and His goodness as well as the mercy of God. Each of their little motivational talks was followed up with a song that matched the message beautifully.

After the inspirational performance by Hawk Nelson, the crowd waiting impatiently as we waited for Skillet to claim the stage. Unfortunately, our patience was being tested as we had to wait for the stage to be set up for their upcoming performance. After time, chants calling for the band sporadically emerged throughout the crowd. Finally, after a long and tiresome wait, Skillet traipsed up to the stage and began their stunning performance.

Their music and vocals were astounding. They sounded like they were coming right off of a CD played on the best set of speakers you could find. They played a large range of their songs, some of which came from their new album "Awake" which was released on Aug. 25 of this year.

Not only was the auditory aspect of the concert outstanding, the visuals and special effects that they incorporated into their act were superb. Toward the back of the stage they had two platforms that ascended and descended periodically throughout the concert, and each time they had different band members on them. They also had pillars of smoke that would shoot up during their more intense songs, adding to the effect of the whole ordeal.

With an amazing sound system and fantastic effects, one would think that there was little else Skillet could do to intensify their show. However, they also integrated random instrument solos throughout the performance and they talked to the crowd, making it all the more personal.

The Skillet: Awake and Alive tour was brought to Boise, and all fans living here are eternally grateful. What better way to spend a Thursday night than at the concert of a band you love? Letter Black, Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, and Skillet all meshed together exceedingly well and put on the best Christian rock concert anyone could ever dream of going to.

Skillet: Awake and Alive as ever

By Emily Reeping

Whiplash, a sore throat, and exhaustion are impossible to avoid after attending a loud rock concert. These were certainly inescapable for every fan who attended the Skillet concert on Friday, Nov. 5.

The concert opened with a spectacular performance from the Christian rock band Letter Black. Although Letter Black is not widely known, the crowd was pleased to find that this "under the radar band" was very similar in style to who they had come to see. The one downer to this band was that their instruments overpowered the vocals so it was hard to understand the lyrics, but it was still an awesome performance.

Following Letter Black was a killer performance by another Christian rock band Decyfer Down. With strong vocals and vibrant instrumentals, Decyfer Down blew the audience away. Their songs weren't very widely known, and those who did not know them walked away as fans.

After Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, another Christian band, gave a stunning performance to tie it all up before the main event of the night began. Their songs were well known as the band is relatively popular in today's society, which was responsible for the fact that most of the crowd was singing and rocking out to their whole routine.

One of the best parts of Hawk Nelson's performance was the fact that they interacted with and spoke to the crowd. They didn't just stand up on the stage and sing like most other opening acts do. They spoke of Jesus and His goodness as well as the mercy of God. Each of their little motivational talks was followed up with a song that matched the message beautifully.

After the inspirational performance by Hawk Nelson, the crowd waiting impatiently as we waited for Skillet to claim the stage. Unfortunately, our patience was being tested as we had to wait for the stage to be set up for their upcoming performance. After time, chants calling for the band sporadically emerged throughout the crowd. Finally, after a long and tiresome wait, Skillet traipsed up to the stage and began their stunning performance.

Their music and vocals were astounding. They sounded like they were coming right off of a CD played on the best set of speakers you could find. They played a large range of their songs, some of which came from their new album "Awake" which was released on Aug. 25 of this year.

Not only was the auditory aspect of the concert outstanding, the visuals and special effects that they incorporated into their act were superb. Toward the back of the stage they had two platforms that ascended and descended periodically throughout the concert, and each time they had different band members on them. They also had pillars of smoke that would shoot up during their more intense songs, adding to the effect of the whole ordeal.

With an amazing sound system and fantastic effects, one would think that there was little else Skillet could do to intensify their show. However, they also integrated random instrument solos throughout the performance and they talked to the crowd, making it all the more personal.

The Skillet: Awake and Alive tour was brought to Boise, and all fans living here are eternally grateful. What better way to spend a Thursday night than at the concert of a band you love? Letter Black, Decyfer Down, Hawk Nelson, and Skillet all meshed together exceedingly well and put on the best Christian rock concert anyone could ever dream of going to.