11/26/2019
Hellyeah @ The Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

Hellyeah came storming into The Apollo Theatre on their “The Celebration of The Life of Vinnie Paul” tour. The late Pantera/Hellyeah drummer was certainly eulogized in the only way fans of his could have by moshing, drinking and screaming lyrics out loud. 

There was so much that happened. The photography pit was pure insanity. We were warned beforehand we couldn’t stand right next to the stage but, in the walking path. That was to move quickly out of the way due to the amount of bodies flying over the top. We also had a surprise when vocalist Chad Grey flew off of the stage into the crowd and pretty much spent the entire set out in it. It was straight up one of the greatest things I have seen at a show in ages. He crawled across the fans. They held him up, slapped hands and screamed lyrics into the microphone when he jammed it into their faces. Another fantastic tidbit was Stone Sour drummer, Roy Mayorga, is filling in on drummers for the tour. The stage was lined with Stone Sour road cases. Most notably they stood next to large TV screens that were placed on each side of the stage. As most know, Mayorga, is quite the showman behind the skins. He slapped with brutal force and efficiency. It was a great fit for the tour. Kyle Sanders was a wild man on the bass. He flung his instrument around his body and screamed into his backing mic often. On each side of the stage, guitarists Tom Maxwell and Christian Brady shred. Tom in his signature cowboy hat, move back and forth playing with a smirk on his face. Brady, stood behind a backing microphone giving total effort. The band performed as a complete unit. They were an intense fury of metal carnage. 

Over the years I have seen Nothingface, Mudvayne and Stone Sour. The previous bands by these artists. Nothing compared to that onslaught of metal madness. I was pretty awestruck by the whole evening. Simply put, any time Hellyeah come back around I will be trying to attend. It was one of the most thrilling experiences I’ve ever had at a metal show. 

Set List:
X
Oh My God
Demons in The Dirt
Sangre por Sangre
Moth
333
Say When
Black Flag Army
Love Falls
Welcome Home
I’m Broken (Pantera Cover)
Walk (Pantera Cover)
Waging War
Hellyeah!