Arts & Entertainment
No Need to Wax Nostalgic, Candlebox Still Delivers a High-Energy Show
The Seattle-based alt group played to a packed house of appreciative fans familiar with the group's metalic mix of blues, jazz and rock.
ST. PETERSBURG - Friday night's show by Candlebox at Jannus Live proved the hard-rock group's staying power and ability to persevere over time.
Vocalist/guitarist Kevin Martin, an original member, jammed barefoot for the entire concert and made his way into the arms of some lucky fans multiple times.
The group played hits from the 1993 debut album, "Far Behind" and "You," to an appreciative corwd. Three of the five original members have stayed with the Seattle-based group all these years: Martin, lead guitarist Peter Klett Hits land drummer Scott Mercado.
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Even the group's new members are not so new. Adam Kury has been with the band since 2007, and rhythm guitarist Sean Hennesy has been a Candlebox member since 2006.
Candlebox put on a show to remember at the outdoor venue in downtown St. Petersburg. The perfect weather and a high-energy performance drove fans into a frenzied twist of dancing and cheering. Fans knew what to expect and the group delivered. Candlebox's alterntive hard rock blends heavy rhythms, blues, jazz, grunge and heavy metal.
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The group's polish on stage is a testament to the years members have spent playing and performing. Candlebox has toured with some of rock's biggest names: Aerosmith, Metallica and The Flaming Lips, to name a few from 1990s shows.
After establishing their own sound and hitting multi-platinum and gold certification status, each of the five members eventually came to a fork in the road.
In 1999, fame got the best of Candlebox and theguys went their separate ways for a while. A "while" turned into seven years. Klett describes his personal experience on the Candlebox website: "I got really drunk, did a bunch of drugs, played golf, moved to California, moved back to Seattle, fell down the stairs and got sober."
After their time apart, the group started writing again and went on a reunion tour in 2006, which proved to be a success.
Friday night, Candlebox showed why it can still pack the house. Just when things seemed to mellow out, Candlebox would come back harder and more energized. The show was an extensive one, giving the crowd an up close and personal experience.
