Ingrid Michaelson
The Fillmore
Feb. 6, 2015

• Ingrid Michaelson

Kicking off with "Home," the first song from her 2014 album Lights Out, Michaelson found plenty of time to share her witty humor between her pop-folk tunes as the majority-female audience sang along to every word. The only complaint may have been that the show was too short, as it wrapped up in less than an hour and 15 minutes.

To the crowd's delight, Michaelson played a wide range of songs from her six studio albums, though perhaps fans wanted more than 16 songs, as energetic as the crowd was.

Black Label Society, Hatebreed, Butcher Babies
The Fillmore
Jan. 18, 2015

• Black Label Society

There are guitar solos that serve songs and there are displays of self-aggrandizing guitarsturbation that are pointless. I'd say Wylde's moments in the spotlight are somewhere in between. They lean more toward self-serving, sure, but how many guitarists out there can do what he does with the same level of speed and skill? The now 48-year-old had to fill the shoes of deceased Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads — when he was 19. To metal fans, Wylde is a guitar god.

Periphery w/ Nothing More, Woven War, Thank You Scientist
The Fillmore
Jan. 11, 2015

From the eclectic rhythms of Thank You Scientist to the brutal attack of Periphery, the crowd at the Fillmore on Jan. 11, 2015, got their fill of rock and metal in a variety of styles. New Jersey septet Thank You Scientist opened the show with a bit of Zappa-esque musicianship — a combination of rock band meets trumpet, sax and violin. Woven War brought two singers while Nothing More had moments of dual drumming. Periphery haunted in low lighting to close out the night. If you missed them, Periphery will be back in the Charlotte area this May as part of Carolina Rebellion.

Slideshow Periphery @ The Fillmore, 1/11/15

18 slides

Periphery @ The Fillmore, 1/11/15

Click to View 18 slides

Periphery setlist
Icarus Lives!
Make Total Destroy
The Scourge
Psychosphere
Ji
The Bad Thing
Alpha
Graveless
Scarlet

Encore
Ragnarok
Masamune

The Black Keys, St. Vincent
Time Warner Cable Arena
Dec. 12, 2014

• The Black Keys

Casting aside my pet peeve of bands not changing up a setlist, that Bojangles' show also gave singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney time to harken back to the old days and perform a couple songs as a duo. There'd be none of that this time around. The Black Keys have officially transformed into an arena rock band, backed by the formidable bass playing of Richard Swift and keyboard work of John Clement Wood.

But these are minor complaints. The Black Keys put on a solid rock show, complete with 17 moving video screens, blankets of lighting and plenty of singalong choruses to please the throngs of fans filling the venue.

Slayer
The Fillmore
Nov. 23, 2014

With a backdrop that included a large band logo and two massive upside-down crosses, Slayer took the stage at the sold-out Fillmore on Sunday night and throttled through its 21-song set in classic fashion. With guitarist Gary Holt filling in for the deceased Jeff Hanneman next to original members guitarist Kerry King and bassist/singer Tom Araya, along with drummer Paul Bostaph, the band proved its mettle to fans who haven't seen the band in Charlotte since their 1999 tour stop as a part of Ozzfest.

Slideshow Slayer at The Fillmore, 11/23/14

12 slides

Slayer at The Fillmore, 11/23/14

Click to View 12 slides

Slayer setlist
World Painted Blood
Postmortem
Hate Worldwide
Die by the Sword
Chemical Warfare
War Ensemble
Mandatory Suicide
Necrophiliac
Spill the Blood
Hell Awaits
At Dawn They Sleep
Altar of Sacrifice
Jesus Saves
Disciple
Seasons in the Abyss
Snuff
Dead Skin Mask
Raining Blood
Psychopathy Red
South of Heaven
Angel of Death

Scott Clark Toyota Kat Country Jam presented by 96.9 The Kat f. Hunter Hayes, Montgomery Gentry, Dustin Lynch, Maddie and Tae
The Fillmore
Nov. 19, 2014

• Hunter Hayes

Hayes was one of four singers on stage, alongside duo Montgomery Gentry and Dustin Lynch, for a rotation-style performance headlining the Jam, the proceeds of which were to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The artists took turns singing for six rounds, with each tossing in a cover song in place of doing one song all-together.

Alvvays, Absolutely Free, Late Bloomer
Neighborhood Theatre
Nov. 14, 2014

• Alvvays

Armed with a steady arsenal of pop-infused indie rock, the quintet's Charlotte debut won over the crowd in short order. Sure, the band's hit single, "Marry Me, Archie" seemed to garner the most energy from the audience, but heads bobbed in approval throughout the band's set.

Larkin Poe
Evening Muse
Nov. 7, 2014

• Larkin Poe

It had been three years since Larkin Poe performed in Charlotte, but the sold-out crowd in attendance for this appearance will hopefully get them back sooner than later. Originally two-thirds of the sister trio The Lovell Sisters, Megan and Rebecca Lovell have been together as Larkin Poe since 2010. Their performance at MerleFest was early in the band's formation and still steeped in its bluegrass roots. Since then, Rebecca and Megan's music has developed into a more soulful Americana that's closer to roots-rock than anything bluegrass or folk.

Taking Back Sunday
The Fillmore
Oct. 8, 2014

The Fillmore was packed Wednesday night in anticipation of the return of Taking Back Sunday. As the crowd patiently waited through three opening groups, snatches of conversation could be heard, reminiscing about when the band's debut album, Tell All Your Friends, came out and defined the band for a generation.

Yes, reminiscing seems like an odd choice of word, but it’s accurate. Taking Back Sunday seems timeless and yet Tell All Your Friends came out 12 years ago. It’s odd that the group is now being painted as old-school by its fans, but the passage of time has had no effect on the band or its fan base. The only difference is that now both band and fans have grown up.

The whole night, through an almost two hour set, was pretty nostalgic. Frontman Adam Lazzara lives right down the street from the Fillmore, “just a five minute drive from here,” he said, so it seemed appropriate that the last stop of this tour was a bit of a homecoming. Lazzara has a trademark ease when it comes to interacting with fans that makes live shows intimate (despite being filled to the rafters), and it’s especially evident when he’s amongst his fellow Charlotteans. “I grew up in High Point, North Carolina,” he told the crowd during a break, to cheers. “Wow. I’ve never been anywhere where the crowd was like, ‘Woo! High Point!’” he joked.