Carnival of Madness Tour LIVE!
August 4, 2010 at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT.
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
The Carnival of Madness Tour made a special stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena on August 4th performing to a packed house of fans coming from as far as Massachusetts to see the show. Tonight’s performance included Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years. Chevelle wasn’t on the bill for the Mohegan Sun show.
10 Years opened the show at 6 P.M. with a strong 25-minute set. Having first seen the band before a few years ago before they got signed at The Middle East in Cambridge, it was great to see them progress to the arena setting.
Next up Sevendust hit the stage with a vengeance. Opening with “Splinter” from their latest release Cold Day Memory it didn’t take long for the mosh pits to begin. Singer Lajon Witherspoon took full control of the young audience. Sevendust only slowed things down for a moment with the song “Angels Son” and the frenzy began again with “Unraveling” the first single off of the new album that was very well received. The return of Clint Lowery has made a great impact with the overall sound.
Puddle of Mudd took Chevelle’s spot in this evening lineup. and opened with the song “Control.” The band performed their hits and had fans singing along to songs like “Spaceship,” Psycho,” and “She Hates Me.” Lead singer Wes Scantlin was very entertaining thanking the audience for coming out for the show. Guitarist Paul Phillips shined in an arena setting. Paul has made a great impact with his return showcasing the strength of the band with his songwriting skills on their current release Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate. Bassist Damien Starkey, replacing Doug Ardito, was very energetic onstage. One major highlight of the bands set was the sing along to the song “Blurry.”
The evening went relatively fast and it was time for Florida rock band Shinedown to take the stage at 9 P.M. for an hour and 45 minute set. Singer Brent Smith sporting a Black top hat, cane, and striped shirt played ringleader to a sea of 5000 fans opening with “Sound Of Madness.” Brent’s voice was captivating and the focus of the entire set. His vocal range went from melodic to hard rock adapting to every song in a flawless performance. Brent also dedicated “If You Only Knew” to all the women in the audience. He spoke with much enthusiasm announcing “Diamond Eyes” the song that can be heard in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone movie The Expendables.
Highlight of the set was the compelling, “The Crow and the Butterfly.” Singer Brent Smith proclaimed the Carnival of Madness Tour as the event of the summer. It is always a pleasure to watch a band develop into an arena act and hear their hit songs on radio. Reminiscing about seeing Shinedown for the first time on the Sno-Core Tour a few years back in Worcester at the Palladium, I had a feeling then that Shinedown would be huge musical act.
Shinedown came to play, with their set on the music, the band poured their heart into the evening’s performance.
Every band gave 100 percent. This was the perfect way to spend a summer evening listening to the bands making an impact today.
A Special thank you goes out to Julie Lichtenstein and Amanda Cagan, and Morgan Rose of Sevendust for making this review possible.
Check out our Interview with Morgan Rose of Sevendust right here at Hardrock Haven.
Be sure to catch Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer!
Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Livin’ on Borrowed Time
Spaceship
Stoned
Blurry
T.N.T.
Psycho
She Hates Me
Sevendust Set List:
Splinter
Praise
Denial
Angel’s Son
Black
Driven
Unraveling
Pieces
Face To Face
Shinedown Set List:
Sound Of Madness
Devour
I Dare You
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
If You Only Knew
Diamond Eyes
.45
Call Me
Heroes
The Crow and The Butterfly
Her Name is Alice
Save Me
Son of Sam
Left Out
Encore:
Simple Man
Fly From The Inside
Second Chance