Alice in Chains Return to Las Vegas with a Blistering Set

The show opened with Atlanta Georgia Stoner rock band Royal Thunder who won the sold out crowd over with blistering vocals and a stripped down, droning sound. It’s rare to see an opening act get any respect, but Royal Thunder, who have been slogging away in the underground scene for almost 20 years, showed that they could stand with the big boys.

Alice In Chains hit the stage at 9:00 and dropped hit after hit for the next 90 minutes. The band, in the middle of a tour opening for Guns n Roses, was as tight as ever. From the bombastic opening “Again”, the crowd was on its feet and singing along. With a career now in its 4th decade, AIC has nothing more to prove, yet they perform as if they are still a young band struggling for that big break.

They pulled out classic like “Them Bones”, “We Die Young” and “No Excuses “, and even teased a little “Whale and Wasp” (although not playing all of it), but also newer songs from the now William DuVall (who we caught the night before at the Punk Rock Museum) fronted line up such as “The One You Know” and “Hollow”. DuVall has really stepped it up as the front man, commanding the stage and doing the songs made by late frontman Layne Staley more than justice.

Lead guitarist/singer and main songwriter Jerry Cantrell took the lead vocals on classics like “Got me Wrong” and “Your Decision “ showing that he is no slouch in the singing department. The rock steady rhythm section of bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney held the stage down all night, setting a solid foundation for the guitar wizardry of Cantrell and DuVall’s soaring vocals

Ending with an encore of “Rooster”, the band with nothing to prove showed us all once again they deserve their place on the Mount Rushmore of Grunge. A must see either with Guns N Roses or on their own.

Setlist.

Again
Check My Brain
Them Bones
Dam That River
Angry Chair
Man in the Box
Down in a Hole
The One You Know
Your Decision
Nutshell
Never Fade
Hollow
We Die Young
Got Me Wrong
Would?
Encores:
No Excuses
Junkhead
Rooster