Fozzy’s “Spotlight on North American 2023-2024” Tour Review and Opening Acts

By: Eric Darsie (Patreon)

Sunday, October 29th, 2023 – Lyric Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Something I believe in is supporting the artists you enjoy. If it’s a musician, a podcaster, a poet, a philosopher, a writer, it doesn’t matter – if you enjoy their work, support them so they can continue their work, they can continue their dream. That’s a huge reason why whenever Fozzy comes through the Twin Cities, I buy a ticket to see them in concert.

I’ve been a fan of Fozzy since 2002 after they released their second album Happenstance after Chris Jericho and Fozzy preformed To Kill a Stranger on WWE Monday Night Raw leading up to his match against Ric Flair at WWE SummerSlam that year. I have been a huge Jericholic and wanted to check out his side project, so I bought the first two Fozzy albums and fell in love with the music.

Fozzy touched my heart during high school then while becoming a young adult in college, and into my first full-time job and further into adulthood. When I heard over the summer that Fozzy was announcing new dates for a fall/winter tour (2023-2024), I got excited, hoping they’ll come through the Twin Cities again. Then I heard that they announced a date in Minneapolis, and I had to buy another ticket.

Recently Fozzy released a new single a few weeks back called Spotlight. I really enjoyed the first verse.

I know you’ve got a secret. It’s buried down below.

Deep within the basement. Let it go, let it go.

I know you’ve got your issues. A homicidal mind.

Silence cannot save you. I’m bringing you to light.

The reason why I like the first verse (and all together the whole song) is because we all have things we bury away. Our past, low self-esteem, negative thoughts, just to name a few. But some of those things we must let go of because it’s dragging you down. Some things aren’t healthy to hold onto. That’s a part of life. But there are other times when we can see that in other people and that’s what I believe what the song is about.

Spotlight is a song about seeing the truth through someone’s actions and seeing that they’re going through a rough stretch. One knows the deepest darkest secrets that you’re hiding. One who knows how to read your facial expressions and knows how to read your body language. I believe Spotlight is a song that everyone can relate to.

But something I always enjoy about concerts are the opening bands. I love listening to new music because music speaks to everyone. On the Spotlight on North America tour, the Nocturnal Affair, Magdalene Rose, and Seventh Day Slumber. I hadn’t heard of them until I saw them live in person at the Lyric in Minneapolis.

Nocturnal Affair was the band who opened the show. Hailing from Las Vegas, I was excited to hear them. My buddy Ross jokingly said to me, “Hey, looks like Chris Daughtry is trying his hand again in music.” That made me chuckle in a good way. But after Nocturnal Affair played their first few songs, I do feel like they are a heavier Daughtry. I was impressed because, one, I didn’t have any expectations going in, but two, I felt like I can relate to the lyrics. I always enjoyed music where I can relate to the lyrics and apply them to what I’ve been through. What surprised me the most is Nocturnal Affair covered Haddaway’s What Is Love (Baby Don’t Hurt Me). I never expected to hear a hard rock cover of that song. There was a lot of head banging during that song.

Magdalene Rose wasn’t what I was expecting because I never associate a lady lead singer being the voice of a metal band. But with that surprising me, my socks were rocked off with their set list. Lyrics were up on screen during each song, and I appreciated that because I tend to prefer the lyric videos for songs because I enjoy reading the lyrics so I can ponder the meaning of the song while listening to it. With each passing song Magdalene Rose played, more I appreciated their music more.

Shark Spray and A Bad Residential were two songs I dug because they were relatable. Shark Spray is a song about being resilient in the face of adversity, a song about the pain of betrayal. Who can’t relate to that? Who hasn’t gone through a period in their life where they felt betrayed? That’s why I instantly loved the song.

A Bad Residential is a song about going through a dark time in one’s life where they feel like there’s no hope and no way out. A Bad Residential is a song about testing one’s mental state and mental strength. More and more I live life, the more I realize that we all struggle and battle the same trials. It may look different in each case for a different person, but it’s something we all go through. That’s why I also loved this song.

Seventh Day Slumber I’ve heard about on the occasion but that’s when a rare time I am listening to the local rock station. I never paid much attention to them when they were playing on my radio and that’s something I wish I would have checked them out. Seventh Day Slumber rocked hard with Halos, Surviving the Wasteland, and a Bullet Meant for Me.

Halos was about a friend committing suicide and the surviving friend going through survivor’s guilt. That there were things they wish they could have said or things that they could have done to avoid that friend on taking their own life. Not that I’ve been down that road and experienced that pain, I couldn’t imagine putting down into words what one went through walking down that path.

Surviving the Wasteland speaks volumes about walking through a time in your life that you feel like you’re walking through a land of zombies, through a land of dead men walking. There are times in my life where I question everything. I read and overread and think and overthink about situations, words spoken, actions done. Surviving the Wasteland perfectly sums up what went throughout my head during that stretch in my head.

A Bullet Meant for Me spoke to me because it talks about a life of partying, a life of drinking, a life of avoiding issues one doesn’t want to face. What struck me hard with this song was the self-realization that the one who’s doing all the damage is oneself, you’re the one with the smoking gun that caused all the pain and destruction. After that self-realization, one questions how to stop and how to reach out for help, A Bullet Meant for Me seems like a song searching, screaming for help.

But all-in-all, I was blown away by all four bands. I didn’t expect to enjoy the three opening acts as much as I did. I usually enjoy one of the bands when the concert is done, generally not all three. But when the concert was done and Ross and I traveled west on I94, I was happy the stars aligned, and we bought tickets to see them all at the Lyric in Minneapolis. I had a better time than expected and I believe that’s why days later, I still have a smile on my face about the experience.

Go out and support your favorite band when they come to your town. Support the artists you enjoy. If it’s an author, podcaster, don’t matter. Support their work and help support them live their dreams. Life is better when we all chase our dreams and enjoy the road we’re traveling.

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