Bands rock their fans at Show Me Center

National touring rock bands Sevendust, Three Days Grace and Avenged Sevenfold entertained a crowd of 3,309 rock fans Monday night at the Show Me Center.

Donald Jacobs of Cape Girardeau was there to hear Sevendust.

"I thought it was great; I loved that they did 'Walk' by Pantera as a tribute to Dimebag," he said, referring to guitarist Dimebag Darrell, who was fatally shot at a concert several years ago.

Andrew Lawson, 12, of Cape Girardeau said that he liked Sevendust because they were really heavy, but he was looking forward to hearing Avenged Sevenfold play his favorite song, "Welcome to the Family."

Canadian rockers Three Days Grace have three platinum albums to their credit, and on the elaborate stage at the Show Me Center, they played a set loaded with hits, from "Pain" and "I Hate Everything About You" to "Riot."

Lead singer Adam Gontier was into the crowd, to the point of stepping out onto the floor for a lap around the crowd, even stopping to high-five and hug the fans as he continued to sing.

Local radio DJ and musician Kirby Ray was excited about the concert.

"It's just kicking so far, I'm telling you what," he said.

"I'm loving it; I can't believe we've got Sevendust, Three Days Grace and Avenged Sevenfold here in Cape Girardeau. It's like ethereal."

"The crowd is really high energy," Ray said. "For the seats that are empty, the people here are making up for that."

Nelly Bronabaugh of Jackson said she was impressed with Three Days Grace' singing. "The whole band was really tight, but the vocals were amazing," she said.

Rocking out in a graveyard, Avenged Sevenfold opened with "Nightmare," the title track from their latest album.

Nikki Redcloud of Bloomfield, Mo., attending with her best friend, Arinda Plumb of Cape Girardeau, and her brother Mike Redcloud, said she really enjoyed the show.

"I went and saw Three Days Grace last time they were here," she said, "and I'm so stoked that Avenged Sevenfold is here."

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