In 13 years of touring, Fozzy never made a stop to the famed Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan. At least, not until Friday night, when Chris Jericho and friends tore the walls down.
Chris Jericho performs with his band Fozzy for the first time ever at the Machine Shop in Flint, MI. Jericho brought energy and charisma many fans may be familiar with from his time with WWE (photo by Damien Dennis, 2013).
Fozzy, who is currently on tour with Saxon and Halcyon Way, played before a packed, but not sold out crowd. For many fans, this was their first time seeing Fozzy live.
Needless to say, they did not let the fans down. As soon as Fozzy hit the stage, you could feel the energy radiating from the band. Frontman Jericho strutted out on stage wearing one of his famous over-the-top, flashy jackets that you may have seen him wear in WWE.
The first song the band played was ‘Spider in my Mouth,’ which is one of their faster and more aggressive songs. This was a sure fire way to get the crowd going and to set the tone for the rest of the show.
Fozzy kicked right into ‘Sandpaper,’ which is one of the fan favorites. The studio version of this song features M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, but Jericho pulled off his parts exceptionally well while guitarist Rich Ward, the Duke of Metal, filled in for Shadows nicely.
As much energy as Fozzy was putting into their show, the fans were giving just as much back. During a handful of songs, Jericho commanded the crowd, which he had no problem doing, due to his years of experience doing the same in the wrestling industry.
Jericho demanded the crowd to clap their hands, throw their hands up, and chant “Hey! Hey! Hey!” in which the crowd more than obedient.
On their second to last song ‘Enemy,’ which is a staple in any Fozzy set, the crowd sang their hearts out. Once the song had ended, “Fozzy” chants broke out and the band couldn’t do anything but smile in awe of the reception they were receiving.
Once the chants had died down, Jericho told the drummer Frank Fontsere to give him a beat so the crowd could turn into a choir of voices and sing the song ‘Enemy’ and in turn make Fozzy the audience.
The last song of the night was ‘Blood Happens’, which is hands down one of the bands heaviest hitting songs in their catalog. This song kicks off with a bang with chest thumping drums and in your face riffs. This was when the fans really showed their energy: Devil horns thrown up in the air, people headbanging and there was even some people playing air drums and air guitar.
Once the band had finished their last song, the crowd showed their appreciation for Fozzy, and there very well may have been the longest chant of a band name I have heard in the most recent years. The band gathered on stage together, arms across each other’s shoulders and took a bow.
Before leaving, Jericho grabbed the mic and yelled, “Flint, you f*cking rock!”
If you haven’t seen Fozzy live, or gave them a listen, they offer an abundance of energy and music that is electrifying.
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*All photos by Damien Dennis
