LIVE NATION PRESENTS: HALESTORM
LIVE AT FIRSTBANK AMPHITHEATER IN FRANKLIN, TN ON 8/2/25
I first heard the buzz about the rock band Halestorm in early 2014. What actually made me a fan was during the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards that year, when country megastar Eric Church performed the song “That’s Damn Rock & Roll” live with Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale. To say she added grit and power to the song would be an understatement. She shook the rafters in the building as she belted out her parts like no one else could. That performance made me want to see the band live, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Ten years later, I’m still a fan—this time covering their show at the FirstBank Amphitheater. With Halestorm’s sixth studio album Everest dropping on August 8th, I was hoping some of the new material would be part of the setlist.
The stage setup featured a wall of white Marshall cabinets on both sides, an elevated drum riser, and a phenomenal light show. The band hit the stage as Lzzy emerged shrouded in a hooded cape, mesmerizing the crowd as they kicked off the show with “Fallen Star.” From the very first song, guitarist Joe Hottinger, bassist Josh Smith, and drummer Arejay Hale locked in and layed the foundation for what would be a hard-hitting performance in their home state.
Halestorm kept the momentum going with “I Miss the Misery” and “Love Bites (So Do I).” Then came “WATCH OUT!”—the first track from the forthcoming Everest album to be played live that night. It was an absolute banger, leaning even more toward heavy metal than their usual hard rock style.
The band then paid tribute to “the man, the myth, the legend, Ozzy Osbourne” with a rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Perry Mason.” It’s still surreal to think that Ozzy gave one of the greatest Black Sabbath performances ever and passed away just days later. It’s been less than a month, and the music world is still adjusting to his absence. For Halestorm, it must have been an honor to perform at the Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning tribute show in Birmingham—especially with Lzzy as the only female artist on the bill.
Midway through the set, Lzzy hyped up the crowd with a call —“Can I get a…?! Can I get a…?!”—before launching into “Amen.” She then switched from guitar to keyboards for another new track, “Darkness Always Wins.” Making its live debut in Franklin was the heartfelt “Like a Woman Can.”
The band was firing on all cylinders, proving yet again that years of touring have made them a seamless, tight-knit unit. They treated the audience to “Familiar Taste of Poison” before smoothly segueing into “Rain Your Blood on Me.”
Then it was Arejay Hale’s turn to shine. As the band’s co-founder and drummer, he stepped into the spotlight for a solo that reminded the crowd why drum solos are still an essential part of a rock ’n’ roll show. Arejay even broke out a pair of oversized drumsticks for a bit of comic flair. The encore sealed the night, with Halestorm delivering “Freak Like Me,” the title track of of their new album “Everest”, and the crowd favorite “Here’s to Us.”
This was a much different experience from the first time I saw them live during their Two Sets All Rock tour in 2015. Music evolves, and so do live performances. Nobody wants to see the same set year after year without something fresh in the mix and Halestorm made sure this night was anything but predictable. They didn’t just meet expectations; they shattered them.
HALESTORM Photo Gallery Click HERE