Friday the 13th with Avatar and release of Feathers and Flesh at RiverSide Theater in Green Bay, WI
Friday the 13th with Avatar and release of Feathers and Flesh at RiverSide Theater in Green Bay, WI
Story and Photos By: Coren E. McLeod
The Metal scene has very devoted fans.
Music touches so many souls in different ways. And that is what makes the
world of music so interesting. I happen to be all over the place when it
comes to who I am listening to. Presently, I am heavily influenced by
metal. My current top 5 bands are: Meka Nism, (duh…), Motorhead, Left With
Tomorrow, Avatar and Man the Mighty.
I had an amazing opportunity to head up to
Green Bay, WI on Friday the 13th to witness the tremendous and astounding sounds of Avatar.
This was a huge day for the Swedish metal band. They were releasing their concept album Feathers and Flesh. The idea
behind this album is so awe-inspiring and what a fucking glorious idea for
other bands to try.
Feathers
and Flesh is based on, according to the band, “It is about this owl who
goes to war against the world to prevent the sun from rising. It is a
fable inspired by the work of the famous French fable writer Jean de La
Fontaine, so the creatures in the fable represent a side of the human psyche or
different behaviors. Something good or bad happens to them
depending on what they do in the story, and at the end you learn some of
lesson.”
I was always curious to see what sort of
music Green Bay, WI would like. I heard they have a huge country
following out in Packers’ land. However, when I showed up to the RiverSide Ballroom that
night, I was completely wrong. There were metal heads all over ready to
tear the place down…
The first time I ever heard of Avatar was on
95.1 WIIL Rock. The song “It Smells like a Freak
Show” seriously stood out to me in so many ways. The song was so fucking
hard core and had different levels of musicianship behind it. I was
so enthralled with how mind-blowing the song was.
Again, I showed up to the RiverSide Ballroom to
not only see Avatar, but the wonderful people of Meka Nism. Plus, since I was recently exposed to SunFlower Dead, I was
excited to see what they would bring to the table of tooth grinding
metal.
I was granted permission from the stellar promotional group RockerChix Concert Promoters to take pictures from the photo pit. I was so
ready to get my photographer groove on.
While
waiting for Avatar to hit the stage, I noticed right off the bat was all these
people dressed up as “bees” in the audience. People were dressed up in
bee costumes. Considering I was an
Avatar fan, I felt kind of stupid not knowing why this was happening. I
was later informed that this was “The Swarm” or diehard fans of
Avatar. Seeing this in person was remarkable. Understanding this
was Avatar’s first headlining tour, it was unbelievable to see that their fans
were ready to show their appreciation for their favorite musical act.
Okay, I was in the photo pit for Avatar’s set.
And I could tell the entire audience was becoming restless. I could feel
the vibes of their fans breathing down my neck waiting for Avatar to hit the
stage.
Being that close to all the action, it was a little intense. Meka Nism and SunFlower Dead were so
remarkable opening for Avatar. This tour and all the bands complemented each other so
well. Between the hard core show, the showmanship and the makeup, I can
see why all the bands got along so well.
It was go time for Avatar. I felt the
rapture of the pounding of the beats of the stage hitting me. Then, the
fog machines came on and I was lost in a sea of smoke. Once I was
able to see, Avatar came out and yes…. #ShitYesOn….
Lord, what was so mesmerizing was their
stage presences. My eyes were focused on the lead singer, Johannes Eckerstrom. OMG. He was so addicting to
watch. His command over the audience was so powerful and his dance moves
were very similar to Michal Jackson’s. Seriously, no joke. I loved
watching the other band members as well: Jonas (guitar), Tim (guitar,
backing vocals), Henrik (bass, backing vocal) and John (drums). The fact
they were all in sync with each between the music and just fucking whipping
their hair in rhythm with each other; my mouth dropped to the floor.
The best part of the show was Avatar had
their concept album dropping that day, yet they still played fan favorites like
“Bloody Angel,” “Hail the Apocalypse” and of course “Smells Like a Freak Show.”
Fans got a great taste of the new album, Feathers and Flesh. What I truly
loved hearing was “The Eagle has Landed,” “For the Swarm,” and “Tooth, Beak and Claw.”
I can truly say this was one of the best
experiences I had at a concert. I got to see Meka Nism. (Always such a great, fucking enchanting time to
see.) I got expose to SunFlower Dead.
And be able to join the swarm with Avatar, it was truly a day where history was being written and I was a part of it. #Cheers
The night ended with Avatar
coming out to sign autographs for their fans.
This was truly a spectacle to see.
All of Avatar’s fans lined up with their new record in hand to spend a
few minutes with them. I was also in
line to have my copy of Feathers and
Flesh signed. I was a big dork
meeting Avatar, yet I did not care. The
entire band was so professional and sweet all at the same time. It was a joy to witness.
I highly recommend
picking up Feathers and Flesh. The album is extraordinary and it is genuinely
unique on many diverse levels. Avatar
does tell a marvelous story that any metal fan can be grateful for.
- Read the full story at UnRatedMagazine.com
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