Thrash Metal Pioneers Anthrax Brought Their 40th Anniversary Tour to Las Vegas on a Hot and Stormy Night - Thursday, July 28th, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NV - Due to a miscommunication, I arrived at the Brooklyn Bowl about an hour before I normally would have. Normally, standing in the sweltering heat and humidity for an extended period of time would have been an inconvenience, but this extra time allowed me to observe the nearly sold-out crowd arriving early.
Why would a crowd be arriving to a venue 5 hours before the headliner was scheduled to perform?
Because this was an absolutely stacked line-up.
First on the bill, hardcore legends Hatebreed.
I have said countless times that the Brooklyn Bowl is my favorite venue in Las Vegas. The sound is great, it’s easy to get to, and the stage is small and low, which gives me a chance to take some great photos.
Speaking of a small stage... it is also the PERFECT environment for Hatebreed to perform.
This band feeds off the energy from the crowd unlike any band I’ve seen before. I’ve have been a fan of Jamey Jasta since his days hosting MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. He is unapologetically a huge metal fan and the perfect ambassador for the genre.
The band performed a setlist featuring fan-favorite's “Destroy Everything”, “Live For This” and “I Will Be Heard.”
Next up, we would see the tempo slow down a bit as guitar-legend Zakk Wylde and his band Black Label Society took the stage for a 70-minute set on this co-headlined tour.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Zakk’s current music, but I love his work with Ozzy Osbourne, and he was just announced as the guitarist in the upcoming Pantera reunion, which made for an entertaining set.
Unfortunately, I was not granted access to photograph Black Label Society’s set. Therefore, there are no photographs of them.
Before Anthrax hit the stage to close out the night, there was a brief video where musicians and actors paid tribute to Anthrax and their contribution over the last 40 years. The crowd was teeming with anticipation as the lights went down and the curtain fell.
Joey Belladonna commanded the crowd as the band opened the set with hit after hit, including “Among The Living,” “Caught In A Mosh” and “Madhouse.”
I have seen all four of The Big 4 of Thrash and have photographed three of them.
Anthrax might be my least favorite out of the four, but they put on an incredible show.
Joey and guitarist Scott Ian command a crowd as good as anyone and the their energy is infectious as the crowd moving non-stop all night.
The 40th Anniversary Tour has just begun and it is a can’t miss show. You don’t see genres and generations coming together like this very often, and you might not get a chance to see artists this influential sharing the same stage again.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes.