Avatar
By: Mary Welch
Something I really loved about this Avatar show compared to the others I have attended is that the lineup of artists was so diverse. When you’re used to a thousand hardcore openers, it is so nice not to hear the same things over and over. The night started out with ‘68, Dance With the Dead, and Devin Townsend. I brought a friend with me who is a huge Dance With the Dead fan, so it was so easy to get into their music having been exposed to it before. It’s where retro synthwave meets rock/metal aesthetics, according to a YouTube comment I read on one of their albums. Devin Townsend was next, and I was so excited to hear him play. His songs were more on the acoustic side, but he still really impressed all the people around me. It made me feel great that I could see a lot of the audience having a positive reaction to his music. The first time I discovered him thanks to another friend, I heard one of his songs “Kingdom” and his epic guitar/vocal abilities completely blew me away. Try not to get that song stuck in your head for a week!
The first thing my friend said on the way out of the venue was that the guys in Avatar are “true performers,” and I couldn’t have agreed more. I’ve seen them a few times now and it’s so clear how much they have grown from what they used to be years ago just starting out. What I love most is that they pick an idea and totally roll with it. From having their own crest, king’s throne, and even playing ads/songs on the Avatar Country radio station before their set, these guys know what they’re doing.
Avatar played one of my favourite songs as well, “Torn Apart,” and it put a huge smile on my face after a long day. I actually knew every song on their setlist, and it was a night of never-ending excitement. The show was close to sold out, and we Wisconsinites undoubtedly show our love for Avatar every time they are in the area. If you are able to make it out to a show, whether on this tour or the next, you will absolutely fall in love with them!
