Flyleaf HOB Review

Wednesday, October 13, 2010
By Aaron Keker

HOUSE OF BLUES, Chicago – Last evening Flyleaf’s introduction was similar to being the lead character in a horror movie.

The lantern lights periodically flickered on and off. Fog then shuffled in and suddenly without warning, the lights commenced into an epileptic seizure. The butcher with his disfigured faced entered the scene with a machete. Frightening beginning, but that is a scene for Hollywood!

In reality, everything occurred, except for the disfigured butcher. As the strobes flashed, Flyleaf entered the stage and walked into a standing ovation. Lacey Mosley and Flyleaf kicked of their memorable performance at the Chicago House of Blues with “In the Dark.”

Lacey Mosley hit those upper echelon notes with an emotional high. My only concern for Lacey is maybe she can lower her voice an octave or two so her vocal chords are not subjected to extreme vocal duress.

Flyleaf seemed extremely stoked to be performing back in Chicago and their body language strengthened the sincerity in their music.

During “Again,” Lacey kneeled down and belted out several lyrical lines and then proceeded to rise to her knees and spin around.

Lacey Mosley continued being active between kneeling down on “All Around Me” to sitting on the staircase on “So I Thought” and finally to spinning around on “This Close.”

Lacey was tearful as she informed the audience of a boy who committed suicide. After the story, she enlightened the audience with the line, “You are created for a purpose” and then Flyleaf performed “Arise.”

Before Flyleaf performed “Set Apart This Dream,” Lacey discussed Flyleaf’s latest cause which is to Unite & Fight to help raise awareness of the human trafficking of children.

Bassist Pat Seals was like a ferocious axeman. He walked up the short staircase while playing the bass. He played a few notes or chords and then jumped off the staircase.

The entire evening, Pat’s ferociousness continued, and even included jumping off the speaker next to drummer James Culpepper. On “Arise,” Pat backed-up Lacey vocally.

Guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya was a little more subdued as he walked up the short staircase on one instance and jumped off on “Chasm.” Sameer even played guitar with what appeared to be a violin bow on “Sorrow.”

What a very energetic performance not only by Flyleaf, but also by the Chicago House of Blues audience. Flyleaf’s energy trickled over into certain audience members who were body surfing or being pushed around violently like a rag doll in a mosh pit. Some idiotic individual even was tossed out for jumping up on stage. Unfortunately, that individual missed out on a commendable performance by Flyleaf. Below is the set list from Chicago.

Chicago HOB Set List:

1. “In the Dark”
2. “Beautiful Bride”
3. “Again”
4. “Cassie”
5. “All Around Me”
6. “Chasm”
7. “So I Thought”
8. “The Kind”
9. “Sorrow”
10. “This Close”
11. “Missing”
12. “Swept Away”
13. “Set Apart This Dream”
14. “I’m So Sick”
15. “Circle”
16. “Fully Alive”
17. “Arise”
18. “How He Loves”