KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo, home to the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, hasn’t been too loud or raucous in some time. That is until David Draiman and company rolled into town on April 4.
Celebrating the 25 years of their breakthrough album, The Sickness, Disturbed brought their tour to KeyBank Center in Buffalo. With some help from NothingMore and Daughtry, Buffalo’s hockey arena was brought back to life, albeit for a brief 4 hours.
Getting the party started around 630, NothingMore took the stage and immediately started the resuscitation process. Beginning with “House on Sand” lead vocalist Johnny Hawkins prances around the stage singing about dealing with difficult life choices.
I built my house on sand
Hoping it would stand
The storms that come my way
With Mark Vollelunga on guitar, Daniel Oliver on bass, and Ben Anderson on percussion/drums, Hawkins and crew went hard for about 35 minutes. With the acts that will follow, NothingMore knew they had set the bar high as fans were filling the arena and that they did.
Setlist: House on Sand, Angel Song, If It Doesn’t Hurt, Go to War, FreeFall, Jenny, This Is The Time.
With the first act out of the way and heavy pulse being felt throughout the arena, American Idol alumni Chris Daughtry came out like a shot of narcan, bringing the now larger crowd to their feet. As with the other acts on stage, Daughtry’s music has very strong undertones of life and dealing with any demons you may come across, such as The Reckoning.
The first release of off newest EP, Shock to The System (Part One) opened up their set tonight. With strong lyrics, the song tells listeners to face their past and break free from what is weighting them down. Go in fist first and fight like hell.
This is for the sorrow, this is for the rage
This is for the ghost that lives inside my head telling me to pray
This is for the hurt, this is for the pain
This is for the lies and all the alibis that kept me in a cage
With the new release, many of the songs focus on mental health and dealing with it, a message that is near and dear to Chris and his family.
Playing through the set, Chris is joined on stage by keyboardist Elvio Fernades, Brian Craddock on guitar, Marty O’Brien on bass, and Anthony Ghazel on drums.
As I head back to my seat after the customary first three, no flash, I can hear a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” being belted out and fans singing in the corridors. Just having vocals to go by, it was hard to distinguish the subtle and smooth voice of Daughtry from that of Steve Perry or Arnel Pineda. As a sucker for cheesy 80s ballads, this rendition was spot on, showcasing the range and raw talent of Chris.
Being one to give to credit when its due, Daughtry acknowledges the crowd for being there when he needed it most, on American Idol in 2007. During the shows run, he wrote and then performed “Home” on the show. While he didn’t win his season, he definitely built a fanbase that has led him to where he is today. During the set on this night, a bone chilling acoustic version was played. Chris, his guitar and about ten thousand cell phone lights created an ambiance that sent a hush over the crowd. Take a bow, Mr. Daughtry, you have made it.
Shortly thereafter was “Pieces”. A poignant song about putting your life back together after a bout of trauma.
You never know who’s coming for you
Into the storm without a warning
Like the cold of the mourning
Oh, how it cuts straight to the bone
Following the untimely passing of his mother and stepdaughter only a week apart in 2021, Chris found himself in a precarious place that nobody wants to be in. Digging yourself out of that metaphorical hole can be a daunting task. Part of his healing process was writing and recording this acoustic piece, while fighting through his pains. His message to fans tonight? “Fight like hell.”
Daughtry Setlist: The Reckoning, Changes are Coming, World on Fire, The Day I Die, Separate Ways (World’s Apart) (Journey cover), It’s Not Over, Home, The Dam, Pieces, Heavy is The Crown, Artificial
Finally, the wait was over. As Nothing More and Daughtry both did their part do get the crowd pumped up, it was up to Disturbed to finish off the resuscitation process.
With the 2000 release of The Sickness, David Draiman and the rest of Disturbed brought a revamped sound to the metal/hard rock genre. Clean vocals, boisterous words of encouragement, and dramatic flare that would bring a smile to Rob Halford’s face, are what has defined Disturbed for the past 25 yerars.
This tour provides fans with 2 sets each night. The first set is The Sickness performed in its entirety with minimal interruption. After a brief break, set two is commenced as a Greatest Hits set. For the ultimate fan of the band, this was going to be an epic show.
With a video screen playing clips of what looks like a trailer for a new Saw movie, the set is readied and the video screens lifts. Mike Wengren seated at his drum set, John Moyer on bass, and Dan Donegan on guitar all at the ready as fans welcome a muzzled and straightjacketed Draiman being wheeled out on a dolly, ala Hannibal Lecter. Stage crew release the frontman from all the asylum garb, and he proceeds to the mic, removes his muzzle and begins to wail to “Voices”.
Following “The Game” and “Stupify”, pit time is over and the photo team heads out to the unmistakable intro to “Down With The Sickness”, the bands breakthrough release. Leaving the floor area, I could hear fans imitating the infamous David Draiman scream/bark leading up to main chorus. Seeing and hearing the band, the fans and the voices singing in my own read brought a smile to my face, as this was a bucket list band for me. I was on cloud nine and hurried off to my seat to enjoy the rest of the show with good friend.
Arriving in my seat as “Violence Fetish” begins, I could see the nearly the entire arena on their feet, pounding fists in the air. Moving through the album set, this never changed and only intensified as each song progressed. Following “Droppin’ Plates”, the stage area goes dark and arena was not silent, but noticebly quiter. With lights coming back up, you can see Draiman being escorted from the drum area in an orange prison jumpsuit to and electric chair at the end of the peninsula. Being seated there, you hear over the speakes a “judge” sentencing the Disturbed frontman to death by electrocution. Two rounds of faux electricity are sent jolting the unphased Draiman. Releasing himself from the chair, he jumps right into “Meaning of Life” with samples of Ozzy’s “Crazy Train” incorporated.
After a little break, the band comes back out for round two, a set of greatest hits, including “Bad Man”, “Indestructible” and “Land of Confusion”.
While Disturbed is well known and a hard rock or metal band, they do have a softer, mellow side. Take their rendition of “Sound of Silence”. Made famous fifty years ago, Draiman took the song and made it his own, with a goose bump inspiring version. With the stage dark again, you faintly hear some orchestral notes being played and piano now set at the end of the peninsula. What starts out as an instrumental for about a minute, immediately brings those goose bumps to life and Draiman cuts through the simple lryics life a hot knife through butter. With controlled fire adorning the top of the piano, you can see the singer standing there, making Simon and Garfunkel proud.
Finishing off the night, fans are treated to “Inside the Fire”. Probably one of the darkest songs Draiman or Disturbed has written. It stems from a former girlfriend of Draiman’s who took her own life when he was 16. Lyrics portray the lifelong battle of good vs evil, as Devon is the lost soul who seemingly is urging the singer to join them in the afterlife. Luckily in the end, good prevailed.
With that, the energy at KeyBank is back to life.
As one sits there and listens to music from these bands or any band, please know that its music and the only message you need to take is that things will work out in the end, you just have to fight through, and fight like hell along the way. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please reach out. 988 is the number that you can call or text.
Setlist: The Sickness – Voices, The Game, Stupify, Down With The Sickness, Violence Fetish, Fear, Numb, Want, Conflict, Shout (Tears for Fear cover), Droppin’ Plates, Meaning of Life
Greatest Hits– I Will Not Break, Ten Thousand Fists, Bad Man, Land of Confusion (Genesis cover), Indestructible, Sound of Silence (instrumental), The Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel cover), The Light, Inside the Fire
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