A chat with Sevendust's front man prior to the hard rock band's Atlantic City gig with Disturbed, Korn and In This Moment also on the bill.
Sevendust 2011
Sevendust, the heavy-metal band from Atlanta, will be hitting Atlantic City with Disturbed, Korn and In This Moment for the Monster Energy Music as a Weapon Tour on Sunday, Jan. 30, at the House of Blues at Showboat. Founded in 1994, Sevendust released its eighth studio album, Cold Day Memory last April.
Atlantic City Weekly got the chance to talk with Lajon Witherspoon, lead vocalist of the band, about its newest album, the tour and what it’s like to be playing and rocking out shows 15 years in to the band’s career. Because, as Witherspoon says, that’s what it’s all about, “to still be out there playing and having people love the songs, being able to go on this journey that has gone on that’s been like this magical dream that I’ve had, just to be here still.”
How do you like playing in New Jersey?
Yes it’s a rocking tour; it’s been incredible every night and we look forward to coming to Atlantic City. As long as we’ve been coming through that area, it’s like family when we get on that side of town. It’s been really cool, we’ve played there since the very beginning of our career, that whole Atlantic City area has been bangin’ for us. I actually consider some of our shows there like a family reunion.
Do you have a favorite song to perform?
I think it’s the song “Splinter.” We open up with it and it’s off the new album Cold Day Memory. It just gets everyone crazy. That’s one of my favorite songs to play right now. That and “Unraveling” and we’re about to bring out a single “Last Breath.”
Can you tell me a little more about your newest album that came out last April?
Well Clint Lowry is back in the band, our original guitar player, which is really cool [to] get back to the original sound of Sevendust. We recorded it with Johnny K in Chicago, the weather was about like it is right now in Rochester, New York: it’s snowing, freezing cold, no one wants to be outside. I think it made us focus on what we needed to do as far as getting the album done. We were really able to accomplish that. I think it’s some of our best work.
Do you have a favorite memory of a past tour, or a favorite person you’ve worked with?
Last tour went really well with us. It was with Shinedown [and] they’re like our brothers. It’s always cool when the people you’re playing with are close, you know, [like] family. That’s what it was like to be out with Shinedown. Disturbed, we’ve known those guys forever, [we’ve] grown up with those guys. And Korn, which we’ve never toured with, we’ve only played like radio shows, they’re really cool. It was Jonathan’s birthday, the singer of Korn, and we took him a cake on his bus last night. You know, we’ve got a good brotherhood. You remember those kinds of tours.
What’s up next for Sevendust?
We’re always writing music. John [Connelly] has already got six or seven songs already waiting to be worked on. We’re just throwing around ideas, but, you know, we’re just going to be so busy. Let’s see, we’ll do this for four weeks and take off for a few days, 10 days, and then we’ll go to Australia to do the Soundwave tour, which is going to be incredible with great bands like Iron Maiden, Stone Sour [and] you name it, they’re going to be on the bill, and I’m really interested to see how they’re going to do it because it’s all the same bands at every show — 30 bands. Brisbane, Sydney, to Melbourne, you name it. I love it. And then we’ll come back and immediately get back on the second leg of the Weapons tour and continue rocking it out.
"I was so bitter and full of angst back then. It’s not so easy to go back there that much but we’ve done it. But I’m almost 30 now. I’m a different person."
BILLY GARDELL’S THE STAR OF a hit sitcom, he just released a new DVD of his standup material, his latest slate of live gigs has been selling out wherever he goes — things are looking up for him so much, Gardell’s almost over the loss of his beloved Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Almost.
A particularly sought-after stand-up comedian on the collegiate circuit, Steve Hofstetter brings his unique slant on social commentary to Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Lodge at Lakeside student center on Monday, March 28, starting 7pm. Tickets are $10 in advance.
"I remember I was doing a gig in Wildwood a few years back and there was a hurricane. I thought the place would be empty, but I go out there and it’s packed. I remember saying to the crowd, 'How bad do you need a laugh that you come out in a hurricane?'"
"We did a show with Bob Dylan in Los Angeles and we gave him a copy, and he seemed really quite touched by it."
Interview with music legend Gary Wright and listen to songs from the former Spooky Tooth member, B.B King sideman and George Harrison friend. Wright plays Atlantic City with Ringo's band July 3.
"There’s the voyeuristic aspect where you’re watching these strangers thrown into this weird situation. There’s the free money aspect. They can sit at home and judge other people, and then they have me making silly faces into the camera."
"So that’s my new goal. I want to win five Academy Awards. And the first thing I have to do is to pass an audition."
"I think Atlantic City is one of the most exciting cities in the world and it deserves having one of the most exciting sports in the world."
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