Theory of a Deadman – Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ February 28th
Theory of a Deadman and Saint Asonia brought the Rock Resurrection Tour to the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on Tuesday February 28th. As Skillet took off this night of tour, fans were treated to extended sets from both bands. A rock loving crowd packed the venue for a night of 2000’s Post-grunge.
The evening kicked off with a high energy performance by the Canadian Post-grunge band Saint Asonia. Fronted by former Three Days Grace founding member and lead singer Adam Gontier, they performed a rocking ten song set. The band kicked things off with “Better Place” and “Bite the Bullet.” Adam then performed three songs from earlier in his career: “Never Too Late” and “I Hate Everything About You” from his time in Three Days Grace and “I Don’t Care” by Apocalyptica. Saint Asonia’s performance also included a rocking cover of The Weekend’s “Blinding Lights.” The mix of old and new combined with a genre bending cover kept the crowd engaged the entire time.
Theory of a Deadman’s set opened with a recording of “Sweet Caroline,” priming the Jersey crowd for the second the band hit the stage. They kicked off their sixteen song set with “Ambulance,” off their upcoming album Dinosaur (Release – March 17, 2023), followed by their Platinum hits “Bitch Came Back” and “Blow.” The banter between the band and the crowd added an intimate element to their performance. The band performed many of their hits including: “Santa Monica,” “Lowlife,” “Angel,” and “Hate My Life.” Their set also included covers; “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak and “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks. They closed out the night with a two song encore including:” Rx (Medicate)” and “Bad Girlfriend.” If you have an opportunity to catch a later date of this tour I highly recommend it.
Review and Photos by Simon Lindenblatt