A Night of Rituals
I always love when a tour finally comes to town, it means I don’t have to do a two or more hour drive to and back. It also means seeing plenty of hometown friends enjoying each other’s company on a Wednesday night. Despite being a weekday, over three thousand people showed up for the hump day of sorcery at American Bank Center with lines of people eager to get inside, buy merchandise and get to their seat or find their spot up front on the barricade. It was pretty cool seeing so many dedicated fans dressed in different versions of Papa in stunning detail as a tribute to Ghost, which gave the other fans in attendance a great keepsake photo opportunity.
First up at 7 pm sharp was the quickly rising Spiritbox!! This was my second time seeing Courtney LaPlante and the crew and they set the stage ablaze with their mix of melody and groove. Having their last album Eternal Blue reach many end of the year album top lists, they quickly showed the crowd why they are on everyone’s lips of who to watch. Their songs was a mixture of their latest releases from Eternal Blue and Rotoscope. As amazing their set was with each member giving their all I was left with a bit of sadness as they finished their six song set. I need more of this band live and can’t wait for them to headline their own tours on a regular basis which I’m pretty sure is just around the corner.
Up next was the Grammy winning progressive metal group Mastodon! Having never seen them live before I was excited to watch these master musicians work their craft on the stage. The majority of their set consisted of their most recent release Hushed and Grim with past classics from their album Leviathan, Blood Mountain, & The Hunter to name a few. I would think it an arduous task of picking songs for their setlist with such an expansive career. Throughout their set I could see faces of wonder and maybe even some jealousy as they watched the guitar duo Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher shred the fretboard to pieces. The sounds that emanated from the speakers left the venue full of dizzying soundscapes which was only enhanced with their video backdrops. This added a hypnotic effect giving a visual fluidity to the music that on more than one occasion I thought I was tripping out even though I don’t partake in extracurricular activities. I was left with a lasting impression that won’t soon be forgotten.
As night took hold and the lights went out, the time finally came for the main event- Ghost! The spotlight came on and the first riffs of Kaisarion started as the stage curtain dropped and shouts erupted throughout the night. As Papa took the stage everyone joined in singing along their memorized lyrics which flowed out of their dark hearts and into the abyss. It took mere milliseconds for everyone to start moving, jumping, singing and shouting, finally letting go of their pent up emotions and experiencing a cathartic release. Next up was the hit song Rats followed by Faith. Each song presented to the masses was a favorite and kept the energy high and overwhelming. About a third through the show the Nameless Ghouls guitarists had a little guitar duel with a winner being declared as they played a portion of Deep In The Heart of Texas to the crowd’s four clap! 
Since Ghost broke the airwaves and consistently tour the world, they have constantly one-upped themselves and this current tour has them performing at the arena rock level stratosphere. Each song is an instant earworm and the production value of the stage background, theatrics and light show has to be seen live and experienced first hand. It was amazing to see how the lighting flowed perfectly with each song, helping give life and set the mood of each and every overture. As the night went on and as Ghost prepared for their last songs, Tobias made sure to thank everyone in attendance and every single person that helped make the show possible, which without them it wouldn’t be possible. Then as the last few notes came to an end with the last song Square Hammer, everything was left in a state of euphoria with unforgettable memories newly created.
The value of this Imperatour cannot be overlooked as Ghost played an impressive 1 hour and 45 minutes!! They have become an unstoppable force that has taken music and performance to another level. So do yourself a favor and see Ghost live, you won’t regret it. In fact you’ll be asking yourself why you waited so long to finally see them live.
Spiritbox setlist:
Circle With Me
Hurt You
Yellowjacket
Holy Roller
Rotoscope
Hysteria
https://m.facebook.com/Spiritboxofficial
Mastodon setlist:
Pain With An Anchor
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
The Crux
Teardrinker
Bladecatcher
Black Tongue
The Czar
Pushing The Tides
More Than I could Chew
Mother Puncher
https://m.facebook.com/Mastodon
Ghost setlist:
Kaisarion
Rats
Faith
Spillways
Devil Church
Cirice
Hunter’s Moon
Ritual
Call Me Little Sunshine
Con Clavi Con Dio
Prime Mover
Watcher In The Sky
Year Zero
He Is
Miasma
Mary On A Cross
Mummy Dust
Dance Macabre
Square Hammer
https://m.facebook.com/thebandghost/
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RENE BOTELLO