Alter Bridge returned to Central New York on Friday, May 15, to perform at the historic Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. Sunshine and bright blue skies greeted the band, who last performed in the area at Del Lago in February 2023, and sent a pre-show buzz through Armory Square.
Tim Montana served as the evening’s opener. Montana and his bandmates greeted arriving concert goers with a 30-minute set of modern-hard rock tunes. Montana was visibly excited as he introduced the band’s newest tracks and promised a return show “very soon” to the audience before closing their set with their hit single “Devil You Know”.
Big Wreck served as direct support for the evening. The Canadian rockers are no strangers to Central New York, with frontman Ian Thornley having played the area many times since the band’s inception in 1994. They took the stage to a warm reception from the audience, many of whom had now risen to their feet and crowded in front of the stage. From the opening riff of “The Oaf”, the band’s 1998 single- which brought them much commercial success, the rows of fans in front of the stage stirred in to a frenzy.
Throughout the band’s 40-minute set, Thornley made no attempt to hide his adoration for Myles Kennedy and the rest of Alter Bridge, even dedicating “Albatross” to them. Thornley and Kennedy have collaborated on studio recordings previously, though he noted this may have been Big Wreck’s first time opening for Alter Bridge. Later in the evening, Thornley would make a brief appearance bringing Kennedy a guitar between songs. The band closed out their set with the familiar 1998 hit, “That Song”.
At long last, Alter Bridge took the stage to a triumphant roar from the audience, all of whom were standing at this point. The band opened with “Silent Divide”, the lead track off their 2025 self-titled release.
The band’s 90 minute set featured a flurry of crunchy, anthemic guitar riffs. Singer Myles Kennedy’s vocals, seemingly built for major stadiums filled the smaller venue, shining brightest on tracks like “Broken Wings”, “Ghost of Days Gone By”, and “Open Your Eyes”. He urged those in attendance to sing along, and repeatedly praised their efforts. A glance around the theater saw fans of all ages singing along, word for word.
The band would return to the stage for an encore, performing the fan-favorite track “Black Bird”. In their usual and customary fashion, they opened the song with the familiar chords of the Beatles’ track of the same name before shifting to the brooding build of their own song. The track showcased the chemistry of the band in a way that can only come with decades of performing together, and featured Kennedy and Tremonti sharing guitar solo-duties. Kennedy’s vocals soared through the theater one last time during the song’s climactic chorus, with the audience belting out the anthem word for word.
As the set closed the band tossed set-lists, guitar picks, and drum sticks to the audience, leaving in triumphant fashion and to a fury of fist bumps and high fives before departing the stage.
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