REVIEW: Good Charlotte’s roulette-style set offers up high energy House of Blues concert
Photo by The Signal reporter Miles Shellshear
The Dose, Knuckle Puck and Sleeping With Sirens opened up Good Charlotte’s “Generation RX” show in Houston at the House of Blues with high energy and a crowd to match.
LA-based duo The Dose kicked things off with punchy rock tracks carrying a bold 90s influence. The pair has a record on the way and a series of singles released in its anticipation.
Moshers and crowd surfers got started early as pop-punk powerhouse Knuckle Puck warmed up the stage for Sleeping With Sirens, who drew in a strong crowd as eager fans awaited the nostalgic roulette of Good Charlotte’s set.
Good Charlotte opened their set with the album-titled “Generation Rx” followed by “Self Help” from their latest release. “Generation Rx” acted as an introduction sequence while the band took their places on stage and set the mood for the following track. “Self Help” invited the audience with familiarly energetic and danceable rock riffs into Good Charlotte’s latest record to give fans a taste of what they’ve been up to.
Following these two tracks came dance floor favorite “The Anthem,” effortlessly pulling the crowd off their feet. Throughout the set, members of the band chose a year and played a track from that year and the record corresponding with it.
This roulette-style setlist engaged the audience and kept them guessing on the years as the bandmates bounced around the stage with seemingly random years calling back to the sensational “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl,” “Girls & Boys” and “Riot Girl” between conversation and audience interaction. This kind of rotation maintains variety for audiences and the band themselves!
Continuing the set with a newer track, frontman Joel Madden explained his heartfelt expression behind “Prayers” in which he sings, “We’re so far away from one another/We keep building walls between each other,” pleading in his prayers for people to be more unified and break down the “walls” which separate us.
Returning the roulette-style format, the band rolled back to 2011’s “Hold On” moving back to 2009 with “Predictable,” “Little Things,” “The River” and “I Just Wanna Live” sandwiched between classic tracks “The Young and the Hopeless,” “Dance Floor Anthem” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” closing out the show to a chanting crowd eager for another encore.
Check out Good Charlotte’s latest record “Generation Rx” and don’t miss them on their next tour. For more information on upcoming tour dates head to their website.
