Skillet Review from Rock White and Blue Festival

That Skillet sizzle continued for two more songs

© 2017 Always Acoustic, John Cooper

Skillet started their July 4th show a day earlier as they headlined the Rock White and Blue Festival at Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, Illinois. As the public entered through an armed checkpoint once you entered the festival grounds, you never felt safer. Looking around there was a sense of nationalism and security as servicemen, servicewomen and armed military personnel walked around.

Skillet’s performance was like a sparkler. It started off strong and fizzled at the end. After Skillet performed “Those Nights,” the remainder of their evening can best be summed up from the lyrical line from “Out of Hell,” which is “can you hear me?” The unfortunate response was “John, yes. However, not well.” The fizzle did not diminish Skillet’s performance, which was still good entertainment.

In modern day sports, invincibility is difficult if not nearly impossible to achieve. If a song can motivate a person or team to try and achieve invincibility well that is exactly what Skillet attempted to accomplish. Skillet opened with “Feel Invincible” and John Cooper motivated the crowd early by belting it out vocally. Instead of staying modern, Skillet then went old school with “Whispers in the Dark.”

While some folks find it difficult to swing a hula-hoop, what about a guitar? As Skillet performed “Whispers in the Dark,” John swung his bass like it was a hula-hoop and it never fell.

Humans off all ages dream about something. As a child, you may have dreamt of being a doctor, lawyer or even a rockstar. John remarked to a child before Skillet performed “Rise,” “You want to sing on stage? I am going to hook you up!”

© 2017 Always Acoustic, Korey Cooper

The World is filled with haters, so Skillet decided to fire back. John Cooper remarked, “Song for all those haters” as Skillet performed “Back from the Dead.” John gave the finger figuratively to all those haters by passionately singing. 

Jen Ledger is always hiding behind her drums and is rarely seen center stage. On “Awake and Alive,” Jen took center stage before going back to her drum set. As Skillet and the crowd were killing it on the song, it had you thinking about Jen being at center stage. Why not? Jen should perform a duet or two with John before returning to her drums. If Jen would have sang with John on a duet or two, the Great Lakes crowd would have gone bonkers!

That Skillet sizzle continued for two more songs with “Not Gonna Die” and “Hero.” What an epic start!

A song later, John Cooper entertained the crowd by professing his love of Nintendo’s Castlevania and Headbangers Ball before Skillet performed “Those Nights.” Dreams really do come true, even for children. On “Undefeated,” a child’s dream was born as the child came up and sang with John.

Skillet ended their pre-July Fourth show with “Rebirthing.” If rock music is dying, it was oblivious to those at the Rock White and Blue Festival. As Skillet’s performance ended, it had you raising those horns and saying, “Rock is not dead!”