Pop Evil & Candlelight Red Bring the Rock to Hampton Beach

Pop Evil picked a beautifully sunny Sunday to hit the beach in Hampton, NH for a show at Wally’s Pub with openers Candlelight Red and Rob Benton. Benton kicked the night off with a mix of covers and original tracks. With no more than his voice and a single acoustic guitar, Benton blew everyone away with his talent. Playing through a wide range of songs including covers of Chevelle and Tool, he proved that he was most definitely not out of place at this rock show. In between tracks Benton jammed out on his guitar, showing off his unbelievable talent.

Candlelight Red took the stage next to a crowd eager to hear some tracks off of their brand new album Reclamation, as well as some old favorites. Not only are the band fresh off of their tour with Sevendust, but they also worked with Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose on a number of tracks on the new album. The influence was evident throughout their set, with heavy riffs and a blend of edgy and melodic vocals. They opened the set with “In Your Hands” off of their debut album before diving straight into the new stuff, including their latest single “Feel the Same.” The single was a standout track of the night, showing the rarely heard softer side of the band. Things picked up again as they finished up their set with “Reflecting” and “Demons." The power of singer Ryan Hoke's voice combined with the band's amazing musical ability made for a great show.

Late on Sunday night it was finally time for Michigan boys Pop Evil to take the stage. They also had “It's not enough to be yourself to make amends, it's so messed up to be yourself when you're not enough.”  the song was a perfect way to start things out. The bitter lyrics and high energy instrumentals set the stage for the next few tracks, including “Deal with the Devil” and “Broken.”

plenty of fresh material to play for us, with their third album Onyx released just last month. They switched it up between the new and old, opening with “Flawed.” With lyrics

 

After getting everyone moving they gave everyone a few minutes to breathe, slowing things down with “100 in a 55” and “Torn to Pieces.” Frontman Leigh Kakaty got a chance to pick up his acoustic guitar and connect with the crowd a bit more on the solo performance. The rest of the night seemed to fly by. Drummer Joshua ‘Chachi’ Marunde spent as much time out of his seat as he did in it, putting absolutely all of his energy into playing and looking like he was in his element. Guitarists Dave Grahs and Nick Fuelling, along with bassist Matt DiRito, ran around the stage constantly, getting the crowd going and delivering some incredible riffs and solos.

Pop Evil ended the night with two of their biggest hits: “Last Man Standing” from War of Angels, and “Trenches” off of Onyx. On these tracks especially, Kakaty’s stage presence and energy had everyone moving and singing along. Pop Evil are one of a few bands these days keeping rock and roll alive; if you get a chance to check out their live show, it’s not one you want to miss.