Alter Bridge kicked off the second leg of their Pawns and Kings tour at Piedmont Hall in Greensboro, NC, Saturday, and they brought some special guests with them — Sevendust and the opening act for the show was the newly-minted rock band Hot For Crime.

The tour is supporting the band’s latest album, also titled “Pawns and Kings” and fans got a mix of new music along with longtime favorites. Alter Bridge consists of singer and guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips. Almost 20 years after their debut in 2004, the band continues to prove that rock isn’t dead. 

It was standing room only at Piedmont Hall and despite a traffic nightmare caused by a fair taking place outside the venue, nothing stood in the way of the crowd and their music. Fans packed the venue and both opening acts set the stage for the headlining event – just trying to make it through the audience to reach the pit quickly turned into an exercise in strength and stamina. 

Alter Bridge came out fast and loud playing one of their new songs, Silver Tongue, to start things off right. If you haven’t had a chance to see the band live, it’s something you won’t want to miss. Of course, there are always good excuses to get out and support live music, but one of the most striking things about Alter Bridge in concert is how true their sound live shows are. Kennedy’s vocals sounded as strong, if not stronger than any studio-produced album, and watching Tremonti work the fretboard of his guitar was a work of art. It wouldn’t be much of a rock show without some stage presence and Alter Bridge delivered in spades. Kennedy, Tremonti, and Marshall never stopped moving, and while Phillips was a bit more limited in his ability to explore the stage, his presence was equally impressive. 

It’s not just a band that makes the show impressive though, obviously, without a band, you wouldn’t have a concert, but equally as important are the fans. When the crowd and the band are able to come together and align just right, something special happens, and a good show becomes a great show like it was on Saturday night in Greensboro. 

The band played a staggering 18-song set and they never missed a beat, proving that like wine and cigars, a few decades can make things even better. 

I’m Music Magazine’s photographer and writer Michael Praats was there to catch all the action, you can check out the photo gallery from the show below.