On This Day in History

On this date in history, 5/9/2013, my best friend and I drove to The Vogue nightclub in Broad Ripple to see Opeth and Katatonia.

A little disclaimer is needed here. Opeth is my favorite band and this was my first time seeing them live, so my hopes were higher than usual going in to this concert. As it turns out, my hopes were nowhere near as high as this event actually made me feel.

Opeth were majestic, mythic, godly…my adjectives aren’t close to the reality of how good this band was on that night.

The Vogue is an intimate venue, full of historical performances from many legendary artists throughout the decades. In other words, Opeth tapped into that special vibe and became part of that tapestry of greatness.

They were touring in support of Heritage, an album that began a shift in musical direction for the band. However, they effortlessly blended new material in with classics from their back catalog such as Ghost Of Perdition, Deliverance, Demon Of The Fall (an acoustic version that killed!), and a monumental encore of Blackwater Park. It’s difficult for me to pick a favorite, but I must say Deliverance was beyond epic, with its many layers of complex rhythms, scorching melodic lead guitar, and alternately beautiful and demonic vocals.

Opeth’s leader, the supremely talented Mikael Akerfeldt, writes all the songs, sings lead vocals and is co-lead guitarist, in addition to being a charming host, adding amusing stories and comments between quite a few of the songs. Mikael is not a one man show by any means. The rest of the band are simply monster players, each and every one.

Katatonia were fantastic, also, but suffered somewhat with a light show that lacked brightness.

Both bands had crystal clear sound, and our line of sight from the center of the balcony afforded us a perfect view of everything.

As fate would have it, I am 4 days away from seeing Opeth again. They have released 2 more extraordinary albums since that 2013 show, Pale Communion, and the current release, Sorceress. If you’re looking for something with style, substance, and world class musicianship, pick these up and discover why Opeth rules my musical world.

Written By Braddon S. Williams aka The Concert Critic