Candlebox Rocks Hard Rock Café

The early 1990’s saw a large number of alternative rock and grunge bands finding major success. While bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden found huge international success there were plenty of bands with talents just as strong as the aforementioned bands that didn’t reach the level of fame that they had achieved. Candlebox was one of those often overlooked and criminally underrated bands that may not have had the fame the others gained, but certainly could match up with any of them talent wise.

Now in 2013 amongst an influx of artists touring to celebrate anniversaries of popular albums, Candlebox are making their way through the US playing their self-titled debut album in its entirety. However, unlike most bands who tend to play the album their celebrating in order and all at once, Candlebox chose to mix things up a big. As they brought their 20^th anniversary tour to Boston’s Hard Rock Café for a sold out Saturday night show, fans of the band got quite the treat.

Before getting into their self titled album, Candlebox opened the show with the track “Bitches Brewin” off their 2008 effort “Into The Sun” following that, they got into some of the track off their debut album such as classics like “Don’t You” and “Change.” They shifted things forward a bit playing three tracks off their sophomore album “Lucy” before returning to the album of honor. As the show went on, frontman Kevin Martin played the crowd as well as any instrument with playful banter about things such as Boston’s sports teams, always a popular topic in that city. The back end of the set saw Candlebox playing their most famous tracks like “Far Behind” and “Cover Me” before closing the main set with “You.” They came back for a brief encore and the last track that had yet to be played off the debut album, the blues inspired “Rain.” When all was said and done, Candlebox had been onstage for just under two hours. Throughout the set it was clear that this was not a band attempting to relive past glory, but a band in the midst of what is a highly underrated career.

At times Candlebox sounded just as good, if not better than in 1993 showing off the 20 years of experience behind them and what they’ve learnt from touring with large name acts such as Rush, Aerosmith, Metallica, Radiohead and Godsmack. Unlike many acts touring in support of classic albums, Candlebox are not looking to relive days gone by, but to prepare for the next chapter of their career as they enter their 3^rd decade in the music industry with plans for a new album in 2014.

Opening the show prior to Candlebox were a pair of local Massachusetts acts My Silent Bravery who were putting on an acoustic special and up and comers I Was Awake from Beverly who’s sound can best be described as somewhere between Circa Survive and Coheed & Cambria. Both acts put on great sets that got the crowd fired up for the strong performance by Candlebox that would follow. 

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