Sevendust Rocks Hard

With his thick, black snake like dreadlocks and nose ring, Lajon Witherspoon moved like a mysterious shaman, wistfully floating across the stage at The Venue on last night (12/3). Sevendust snuck on in the dark behind the sound of loud sirens and a blinding white hot light, and tore into some of the most intense hard rock this side of 1999.

The crowd spontaneously erupted into mosh pits that cracked open unexpectedly from all angles. There was prolonged crowd surfing and fist pumping that would make a militant guerrilla revolutionary proud.

Lajon and company passed for transcendental during "Angel's son" and "Denial," two of its biggest hits. Most of the unruly crowd held up its cellphones in lieu of lighters, mainly to snap pictures but the effect was luminescent regardless of the intent.

Lajon himself was gracious and energized by the crowd. He thanked them many times and went from caged warthog to teddy bear with his high school quarterback full cheek grin. He explained that the band just got in from Chicago on a plane and immediately jumped on a tour bus to come to Florida. "I told my little girl, 'Daddy will be home soon,'" he said.

"We do everything for you," he said, in reference to the crowd. "All of this is for you."

Drummer Morgan Rose, with a flair for the dramatic, would throw his drumstick twirling into the air at least ten feet, and then catch it without missing a beat. Guitarist Clint Lowery, sporting a crew cut, handled some background vocals. Bassist Vince Hornsby wore a fedora, which somehow stayed on through his whole set and guitarist John Connolly's jump guitar move just looked so sweet when he executed it.

The band came back for an encore, thanked the crowd, and then left its instruments laying on the floor with a mountain of feedback blaring out the speakers. As for Witherspoon, he just sort of floated away. And just like he came on, man, he was gone.

--Jon Silman; Photos by Andres. G. Farfan