Well, It’s Been Awhile….since I….wrote me a new post…January 25th to be exact and that’s just much too long.
If you’re like me, then you know Aaron Lewis as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative-metal band Staind. So, when he rolls into town, it’s probably worth checking out. If you’re a fan of Aaron Lewis who actually pays attention and follows him as a solo artist, then you know he tours under his own name a country artist. Either way, it’s worth checking out. If you don’t know him at all, I still encourage you to read on!
Don’t get me wrong, I knew he did some country, but I didn’t realize he was full-on country.
The April 5th Foxwoods show opened with a giant American Flag becoming the backdrop for the night, the Star-Spangled Banner being played, and the Pledge of Allegiance was mixed in with the anthem. The band came out when that was over and they started their set with Northern Redneck. It Keeps on Workin’ was after that and then a bunch more country songs. I knew Aaron Lewis had done some country, and I saw him once about 20 years during one of those shows where many performers do 2 or 3 songs at most. At that time, he basically was just doing acoustic versions of Staind songs. So while I expected some country, I didn’t expect a full on country show.
While I didn’t know the majority of his songs throughout the night, it was still an entertaining show. He has a lot of stories in between songs and may lean into politics a bit; but only a tad, I swear. He sang of God and Guns, as well as “the most important thing,” Red, White & Blue. He drank a fair amount of whisky, smoked a ton of cigarettes, and talked about inspiration for some of the songs. The amount of smoking seemed a bit over the top for a singer, but I guess if it’s not impairing his ability, then what do I know.
The band (the Stateliners) has 7 dudes in it with Aaron himself making it an octet. I wish with the 8 dudes, they could have showcased more guitar skills. I’ve heard other county bands do some mean guitar solos, but this show had nearly no crazy guitar work. Some jam sessions with each guy getting to showcase his skills would’ve been a nice addition.
They did work in two Staind songs throughout the night. One being Right Here and then they ended their main set with It’s Been Awhile. While not their heaviest song, it’s their biggest hit spending something like 16 to 20 weeks at number one on various charts…and this was back in 2001 when people still bought CDs. This story provided a story telling moment. He wrote the song in ’93 or ’94 after his uncle basically told him it was time to get a real job and music wasn’t going to work out. Spoiler alert; he kept at it and has since sold over 15 million albums with his various projects, he constantly tours, and has stayed in the industry for nearly 30 years. I guess that little pep talk was just was he needed.
They did a 5-song encore after the main set which included: 75, The Bottom, Over the Hill, Country Boy, and Am I the Only One. He wrote Over the Hill when he turned 50 so he told us, and before and during the final song, there may have been a little more political banter.
Overall, it was entertaining. I always enjoy the banter and stories during shows and not all performers do this. There were definitely some drunk dudes yelling stuff during the show, and he just rolled with it, talking to them, making fun of them, etc. I will say now that you’ve made it to the end, that if you are a Democrat, this show likely wasn’t for you. I can confirm this because during one part of the show where he got politically charged (again, only a tad – I swear) several peeps got up and left, including the two people sitting to the left of us. The rest of the crowd who wasn’t offended and understand entertainment got to enjoy a good show.
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