BUSH / CANDLEBOX / DEVORA 2.14.2023

Feb 26

Photos and Words By Maria A. Mata

British rock band Bush took over MGM Music Hall in Fenway last week, on a Valentine’s Day show packed with rock and roll. Joining them on this series of dates are grunge icons Candlebox and emo outlaw Devora.

The downtown area was busy for a Monday night, with many going in and out of restaurants, walking around the increasingly long line outside the venue gates. Those who arrived early got to see indie singer Devora, bringing an unexpected mix of dark pop, emo and country. With bangers like “Not Dead Yet” and “Body Bag”, the singer captured the audience immediately, and many went back to say hello and take pictures after her set.

The anticipation was growing for Candlebox, and many fans expressed excitement for the grunge pioneers. The band has been consistently active since reforming in 2006, and it shows; they erupted on stage with great energy. The focus was on the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, but fans also got to enjoy some tracks off their latest production, Wolves. Lead singer Kevin Martin is energetic and charismatic, visibly grateful for the crowd’s reception, even gifting a guitar pick to a little girl he spotted in the crowd. From “Arrow” to “Happy Pills”, Candlebox’s performance was an assault on the senses. They’d close with the iconic hit “Far Behind”, with many in the audience getting emotional.

After Candlebox’s mind-blowing performance, the energy in the audience was electric. The lights would go down shortly after, and flashes of light welcomed Bush to the stage. Frontman and dynamo Gavin Rossdale grabbed the audience immediately and would not let go for the rest of the night, with his high energy performance. The band wouldn’t wait too long to hit the fans with the classic “Machinehead”, seamlessly blending in with their most recent material. Rossdale jumped off stage during “Flowers on the Grave”, and performed it entirely amongst the crowd, one of the highlights of the evening. 2020’s “Quicksand” came with a very recognizable riff at the end; a little bit of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave” had the audience going wild.

The encore was special: Rossdale, standing alone on stage, stopped himself as he was playing the intro of “Glycerine” to ask the audience for a favor: since it was a Valentines show, he asked for all the flashlights to be on, and the packed room immediately lit up. Wrapping up with the iconic “Comedown”, Bush reminded everyone in attendance that heavy rock is fresh, alive, and well. Don’t miss the last shows on the first leg of The Art of Survival Tour.

DEVORA