When I found out that Disturbed, one of my favorite childhood bands, was coming to Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, I knew I was going to have to cover this one. I love covering shows at Amalie because let’s face it, concert photographers love shooting in arena lighting. When I arrived to the venue, there was a huge pre-party going on outside on the plaza where the local radio station was out covering the event as well. It was great to see so many people out so early enjoying the pre-show festivities and getting ready for what the night had in store.
The first act to take the stage was In This Moment. I’ve had the opportunity to photograph this band before and they definitely do not disappoint. Their dark and eerie stage setup makes for a very theatrical performance that is really fun to shoot. For those not familiar, this band is fronted by frontwoman, Maria Brink, who in my opinion, is one of the best female vocalists in all of music. They played a few of their well known songs including “Blood”, “Big Bad Wolf” and “Whore”. If you haven’t seen these guys live yet, I highly recommend it.
The energy in the arena was incredible as Disturbed was about to hit the stage. They played an intro video that really got the fans amped up and ready to rock. The opening song “Are You Ready” was a perfect choice to begin an absolutely incredible set. Disturbed is one of those bands that sound very similar live as they do in the studio, which is not always easy to find in music. Songs played included all of their hits including “Stricken”, “Down With the Sickness”, “Indestructible” and their bone chilling cover of “The Sound of Silence” (Simon and Garfunkel). The set was filled with pyro, amazing lighting and an overall amazing performance that gave fans a night to remember for lifetime.
