03/01/2019
It's been a while since I've seen my brothers in musical arms, and in spite of being very ill, it was one of the most breathtaking concerts I've experienced.
The stage setup for this tour is so unique and the production and surprises were phenomenal. I wasn't expecting the powerful introduction that roused the entire arena as David's intro from the Decade of Disturbed dvd played, describing Disturbed's meaning and mission, I wasn't expecting the pyro strips during Inside the Fire that dropped mere feet from our faces with tremendous HEAT, and I wasn't expecting the overwhelming emotions during Hold On To Memories when the backdrop displayed chronicled moments of celebration and friendship, from platinum albums to dearly departed friends like Chester and Vinnie and Dime, I wasn't expecting to fall in love all over again with a band who had already cemented a permanent and deeply rooted affection in my heart that has been a constant companion and motivator through years of struggle and self-doubt.
One word constantly used by band and fans to describe their music, is "empower". Music as a weapon. Pushing back the walls that the world would seek to confine us in, and making room for the pariahs and misfits, saying all are welcome, none are alone. I've watched these gentleman grow from tenacious young men to hardened veterans who, if anything, have only strengthened their foothold in the hearts of many and continue to blaze the trail they started before the millenium was upon us. Their fight from being a no-name band with a silly name, to finding a frontman with a new name and birthing their first original song "Want" from David's audition (If my memory from watching the dvd serves me correctly) the hunger has never waned and only grown over the 2 decades as the band has slowly evolved their sound that has become so beloved to the tens of thousands who keep their fists in the air.
These guys, intelligent and hilarious, passionate and devoted, are nothing but genuine to their fans, and I am immensely thankful for the 2 hours of a rich catologue of old classics and newer additions from the current chapter. When you attend a Disturbed show, you are in for an hour or two of pure musical escape, enlightenment, and yes, empowerment. It's more than middle fingers to the establishment, it's also a call to wake up and use those hands to help each other, as they displayed the numbers for the su***de hotlines. It's a reminder that we all are brothers and sisters coming together to commiserate and share a common bond and love of four individuals who pour out their passion and pain and power. We all are blood. We, are, Disturbed.