Skillet Concert (2025)

 

For whatever reason I've never gotten around to posting about this Skillet concert in 2025.  I'm a big fan and I hadn't seen them since 2018.  They were just as good now.  I love rock-n-roll and as someone who cut my teeth on 80s rock Skillet's hard rock sound with melodic tones really works for me.  Skillet sounded great.  There was no opening group which I enjoyed.  We got 18 songs and it was a blast.  The audience was really a mix.  Skewed a bit younger than me, though I wasn't the oldest by far, but the crowd seemed to come from all walks of life.  Skillet is a Christian group who doesn't hide their faith.  My favorite albums are Awake, Unleashed and Victorious.  Glad I got to see them, and it was a great experience.

I saw Skillet in Effingham, IL at a small venue which was great.  I don't see many concerts nowadays and one of the reasons is I like to avoid big cities and the hassle.  This worked out well.  The venue was easy to get in and out of and provided an excellent viewing experience.  My seats were good so no complaints here.

Not a huge production but it isn't needed.  I'm fine with just letting the band belt out favorites.  They do have a cellist play during the intro and on a few songs, they have risers and their drummer, Jen Ledger will come out front to sing on a few songs.  And she sings on many of their songs while drumming.

Band members: John Cooper and wife Korey Cooper, Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. 

Site: Skillet.com  YouTube

Setlist: Surviving the Game, Feel Invincible, Rise, Awake and Alive, Sick of It, Legendary, Ash in the Wind, Never Surrender, Whispers in the Dark, Lions, Those Nights, Hero, Not Gonna Die, Unpopular, Psycho in My Head, Comatose, Monster, The Resistance

KISS Collector Cards Series I by Cornerstone - 1997/1998

Cornerstone KISS: I'm not a huge KISS fan but I do like their music and story.  This card shows the band members in their outfits that helped make them famous.  It also scared many of our parents back in the day while captivating young minds.

Gene Simmons famously blew fire on stage and was also known for what seemed to be a long tongue.  That and his playing and singing.  

KISStory cards make up the bulk of the set with a write-up on the backs of each.  Interesting information, most of which I've never seen before.

My favorite songs from the band are Domino, Rock and Roll All Nite, Heaven's on Fire, and God Gave Rock & Roll to You II.  Probably not the classics many prefer.  I have their Alive III album and it gets played a fair amount.

Speaking of the Alive albums, Alive II shows up here on one of the subsets named Discography.

KISS was something.  While the music may not go down as historic works of art, they were more than their music.  They were a complete act in that they put on a show that gets you listening and to their concerts as much as the music itself.  These were fun and I enjoy looking back at band cards.   This Ace Frehley was my foil card.  Sadly, he passed at the age of 74 in October.

BREAKDOWN:
9 – Total Cards
1 – Foil
1 – Discography

Stryper Even the Devil Believes Album Review

Stryper's Even The Devil Believes was released in September the day I left on a road trip.  I was able to listen to it over and over which is one of best ways to do so and what I'd do when I was younger.  This album is great and the first Stryper album I've connected with since Against the Law way back in the day.  Plenty of hard rocking music here and songs I think would be hits back in their heyday.  Music reviews are not easy for me but I can tell you if I like something and I like this album.  I found myself belting out lyrics in the car even during the first listen of some songs.  That's a sure sign I'm enjoying the music.

My favorite song is This I Pray.  It is a slower, soulful, bluesy song that I really enjoy.  Plenty of songs on the album will have that familiar sound that Stryper is known for.  The music is hard and there's good variety.  You won't feel you are hearing the same song over and over.  Others favorites from the album are Do Unto Others, Divider, Blood From Above, and Make Love Great Again.  Not taking anything away from the other songs but these are my favorite.

Some of you are still shaking your head and saying "these guys and their bumblebee outfits are still around?".  The answer is yes.  They still put out new music consistently and I think this one deserves a listen.  I wouldn't say this is my favorite album of theirs but for me it is by far their best stuff since To Hell With The Devil and In God We Trust made them so great in the 80s.  This album is in my drive down the road with the windows down and music up rotation which isn't easy to crack.  I'll always be a big fan of these guys and it's fun to have new music to really be excited about.

 

Skillet's 2019 Album Victorious

Skillet's Victorious CD was released in 2019.  Like it's predecessor it took time to grow on me but now I'm all in.  It's my go to for going on drives - windows down music up.  Like much of their music it has a driving undercurrent that just makes your head bob...or should I just say head bang.  From song #1 on this album, Legendary, there's some great hooks and beats throughout but Skillet stay true to their hard rock roots.  Legendary, Victorious, This is the Kingdom, Never Going Back, Finish Line,  Back to Life and the slower Terrify the Dark are my favorites but I don't click through any song on this album.  This record made it to #3 on the Rock and Hard Rock album charts.  You can hear samples of every song from the this album and all their albums here at Skillet's site.  I just wanted to share my thoughts.  This group is a good listen and great in concert.  Can't wait to see them live again.  Take a quick look at my previous posts on Skillet as well here.

I Went to a Concert: Alice Cooper and Halestorm

Me and the 19 year-old daughter took in the Alice Cooper, Halestorm and Motionless in White concert Thursday night.  It was a great time with all three bands putting on a good show.  Alice Cooper's show was a huge theatrical presentation.  While I've always liked Alice I'm definitely not a hardcore fan nor did I know many of his songs prior to getting ready for the concert.  He sounded really good and I think this vocal style helps his vocals stand the test of time.  He is 71 but really you don't see it in the show.  I'm sure it is different from what he put on 30, 40, 50 years ago but we thought he had a lot of energy and rocked the stage.  

Alice had a great band and everything you expect from an Alice Cooper concert - guillotine, giant baby, teen Frankenstein, a decked out set and all the trimmings.  It really made for a fun show to watch.  A couple of videos folks have uploaded to YouTube from the show:  Poison and School's Out (Lizzy Hale joined Alice on stage for the finale)

 Alice played 21 songs (setlist here) but it seemed to go very quick.  He doesn't interact with the audience which I don't think I've ever seen at a concert which probably plays into the pacing.  He never talked to the crowd until the end when he introduced the band and thanked the crowd.  It isn't a negative.  Just different.  So glad we had this opportunity and for the first song of the encore (Under My Wheels) he came out in the stage in a customized St. Louis Blues jersey (#19, Cooper).  Nice nod to the local crowd which everyone loved.

If Halestorm wasn't on the bill I probably wouldn't have gone to this concert.  It isn't anything against Alice Cooper but I am a big Halestorm fan and that tipped the scales.  Lizzy Hale and the boys were great.  A ton of energy and great music.  As an opening act they were only able to play 11 songs (setlist here) which was the only negative.  I really wanted more.  I just can't say enough them and my daughter and I both agreed they were the highlight of the night for us.  A few videos folks put up on YouTube from the night:  Familiar Taste of Poison, Love Bites, I Get Off  

Motionless in White look and sound like a Marilyn Manson family reunion.  And that wasn't a bad thing.  They play very hard and we both really enjoyed them though we had no clue who they were prior to them getting on stage.  I won't go search out their music but again they were good onstage and I liked their energy and driving music.

The venue is top notch and everything was a win for us.  Getting to see a classic in Alice Cooper and a personal favorite in Halestorm made for a great night.

Skillet Concert

I was able to take in a Skillet concert in Carbondale, IL on the 26th.  Skillet is hard rock but the really turn it up a few notches live.  I was lucky enough to snag 4th row tickets for about $72 out the door.  That included a Q&A session with Skillet and their opening act, For King and Country, before the show.  First and foremost Skillet blew me away.  It seems as though Skillet’s music was made to be played live.  The band’s energy and great music made for one of the best concert experiences I’ve ever had.  While there was some cool things like the risers raising the band into the air or the drum set moving forward this was just a rock show.  Front man John Cooper has a ton of energy which keeps the crowd going throughout the concert.  Jen Ledger provides great accompanying vocals and drumming while Korey Cooper (John’s wife) provides bass.  Seth Morrison is lead guitar and is really good.

The 14 song set list had six songs from their current album Unleashed with past albums Rise, Awake, and Comatose all well represented.  The group has charted really well on the rock charts in sales and in airplay.  Anyone who is remotely familiar with the group will recognize the songs and the hits.  I can’t argue at all with their choice of songs and really didn’t have any I thought they omitted.  Bottom line is I thought Skillet was great and the concert experience as a whole was a blast.     

Short Skillet clip.  Sound is horrible thanks to my phone but it should give you a good perspective from where I sat.

For King and Country skews more pop than hard rock but put on an awesome show.  This video is a good showing of what they do throughout the entire concert.  I knew nothing of this group going in, sans a quick internet search, but left knowing these two brothers from Australia, and their 6-man band, really know how to entertain a crowd with really good music. 

Jen Ledger, the drummer from Skillet, played a three song set as the opening opening group.  She has started a side project, Ledger, and had released and EP the week prior to the concert.  She did a great job and her music was good. 

SET LIST (ALBUM):

Feel Invincible (Unleashed)

Whispers in the Dark (Comatose)

Sick of It (Rise)

Lions (Unleashed)

Back from the Dead (Unleashed)

Awake and Alive (Awake)

Not Gonna Die (Rise)

Hero (Awake)

The Resistance (Unleashed)

Comatose (Comatose)

Undefeated (Unleashed)

Monster (Awake)

Rebirthing (Comatose)

Skillet's New (ish) Album Unleashed is a Great Hard Rocking Listen

I’m still a CD guy and purchased Skillet’s Unleashed album after getting hooked on their single Feel Invincible.  Whether online or in the car I’ve listened to Feel Invincible over and over -  a lot.  I’ve listened to the entire album many times now and I’m really enjoying it.  This takes me back to their Awake album with how easy it is to listen to the entire CD.  Feel Invincible made it to #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, their first ever to chart at #1.  It has also been used by some of the major sports leagues as part of promos and advertising.  The single Back from the Dead is featured as part of Marvel Comics’ ad campaign for their Monster’s Unleashed comic book series while the song Stars is featured on the soundtrack for the movie “The Shack”.  I missed an opportunity to see Skillet live earlier this year and I’m really kicking myself.        

I describe Skillet’s sound as driving rock –energy willing you forward with a head banging enthusiasm.  They’ve had big albums in the past with Comatose and Awake though their last album Rise didn’t have quite the same success.  Comatose brought Skillet to prominence in the rock scene with the help of singles Whispers in the Dark, Rebirthing, and Comatose leading the way.  The album Awake had their biggest hits prior to this album in Hero, Monster and Awake and Alive.  I can’t get into technical nuances of music but I know what I like and this album is very good.  If you like this album definitely check out Comatose and Awake.  Skillet is a Christian rock band but don’t let that scare you away.  This is an excellent album that should be listened to if you enjoy rock. 

Stryper Fallen Album Review

You won't see me do many album reviews because I don't know how to speak to music in the correct terms.  What I will do is be a fanboy who talks about a band's latest album.  I have been a huge Stryper fan from when I was in high school which would have been right around 1985.  I've seen them 5 times in concert and enjoyed them every time. Their latest album is Fallen (2015).  Like many hair bands they fell out of favor in the 90's, broke up and then reunited around 2000 and started putting out new albums.  There have been five albums since their last album of any note until this one. 

I wanted to put something down because I really believe this to be a good rock album.  I understand only true fans will be interested but I also think others would be pleasantly surprised.  I can hear sounds similar to past albums "To Hell With the Devil", "In God We Trust" and even "Against The Law" which I thought was a bit underrated.  It is still a newer sound the band has been tweaking the last 15 years or so.  Again I know only Stryper fans are going to give this album a shot.  I really enjoy this music and for the first time in probably 25 years I've played a Stryper album over and over  (excluding compilation albums).  It is a good feeling.  These guys can play and it nice to have an album come together with a good sound. 

Classic Stryper