RIVAL SONS 5.31.2023

Words And Photos By Maria A. Mata

California rock band Rival Sons lit the room on fire at the Worcester Palladium last week, as part of the Darkfighter Tour.

After two quick but electric opening sets by Starcrwaler and The Record Company, the stage was set for Rival Sons’ return to Massachusetts. Two large tigers surrounding the band’s name greeted fans walking in, and the anticipation was building up. As elegant as ever, the band took the stage when the lights went down, ready to kick off the set with a new song, “Mirrors”.

The room immediately erupted as the aggressive riff of “Nobody Wants To Die” started, the first single off their recently released record Darkfighter. Not letting go of the high energy, they went right into fan favorite “Pressure and Time”, with frontman Jay Buchanan letting loose and kicking the fancy shoes off. The band’s vibe is cool, feral, and wildly rock and roll; from the stunning “Rapture” to the sexy “Electric Man”, Rival Sons sure knows how to heat up the place.

Buchanan’s voice, one of the very best in rock and roll, comes through with raw emotion, even when he had to slow down and rest; the crowd was mesmerized by his soulful  acoustic performance of “Shooting Stars”. With the steady foundation coming from bassist Dave Beste, Scott Holiday provided a face melting guitar solo, as well as Mike Miley, who’s charismatic performance wins over the crowd every single time.

The sultry “Do Your Worst” brought the show to a close, an impressive way to bring the outstanding new sounds to life for the fans to enjoy for the first time. Make sure to catch Rival Sons in a city near you, and give their new album Darkfighter a listen.

Rock and roll is well dressed, alive and well.