Pop-Punk & Metal In One Night? Avenged Sevenfold Bring Good Charlotte Along For The Ride

On August 31st, Avenged Sevenfold made another stop in Tinley Park, this is their second Chicago stop in the past year. I was there for both but this time I got to cover the show and see another band I've been following since High school, Good Charlotte! Last year when I saw them I was so far away I couldn't see much, so this time I was up close and was so pumped for this one.

Good Charlotte tagged along for this tour, opening up for a metal band. Mixing metal with pop-punk was an interesting combo, I didn't care! I have been a fan of Good Charlotte since their first album came out in 2000 releasing their first single "Little Things", which they played later on in their set. It was so exciting for me to finally see a band I have loved and sang along to as a teen while driving down the country roads. They started out their set with "The Anthem" to get the crowd jumping, one of their biggest hits. Joel's singing and the bands playing sounded amazing, just as good as their albums. My favorite part of the show was when M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold joined them on stage for "The River", they collaborated with each other on the song and it was amazing to see them able to perform it together how it's supposed to be heard.

Good Charlotte finished up and the crowd got thicker. Everyone was waiting for the main event. The set changed, the crowd pushed closer to the barricade and I took my spot, ready to see one of my favorite metals bands up close. To be honest, I was a little nervous, being such a big fan for so long, this was huge for me. I've been a fan since I first heard "City of Evil", the single that broke the barrier for them. Later on I learned about their first two albums, much heavier but love each one just as much as their later releases. As I was waiting and wondering what song they were going to open with, the lights went down....I heard it, "NIGHTMARE"!

My absolute favorite song started playing and the adrenaline hit! The very distinctive start to "Nightmare" was the perfect entrance song, pretty sure the crowd felt the same way. All I heard was screaming behind me. Their set was dark and foggy, I loved it! Brooks started out hidden behind a cage with his drum set and then eventually was raised up above the cage, I thought that was a very unique touch, though it made it hard to see him, it was great! For the next few songs while I was in the pit I sang along to every word. I noticed the band members weren't afraid of the camera, they stopped in front of us for solos, gave us smiles, they were having just as much fun as I was.

I got to enjoy the rest of the show from my seat, singing along to every song they played the rest of the night. This is my third time seeing Avenged Sevenfold in the past 3-4 years and each show is different and just has fun. Synyster Gates' guitar solos blow me away every time I see him play, he's so unique and makes it look so easy. Johnny's choice of purple hair with matching purple sun glasses brought out his personality and was the perfect touch. Zacky's guitar playing is always so fun to watch, especially when him and Synyster have dueling solos together. Brooks is a phenomenal drummer and had some big shoes to fill, he's doing Jimmy justice (RIP). M. Shadows is one of my favorite metal singers, he has such a unique voice that is the face of Avenged Sevenfold, it's always a joy seeing him perform. They are a bucket list band for me to cover and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to do it, I hope to continue my streak and see them when they come around again.