10 Years – Ace of Spades
We could not think of a better way to start off a weekend than by driving to see 10 Years play at The Ace of Spades in Sacramento Ca. We have seen them many times, but in our opinion you cannot see 10 Years enough, they are THAT GOOD! As we set out on what should have been a 2 hour drive we were stoked. Unfortunately it was Friday and traffic driving through Sacramento is horrible! So almost three and a half hours later we arrived. We did not want to miss the opening band Valora because there is quite a buzz about them and wanted to see what they were all about. Luckily we made it just in time.
Valora is a six-piece rock band from Whittier, Calif. Valora’s front woman, Syd Duran has been featured on Breaking Benjamin’s recent single, ‘Blow Me Away.
As they took the stage all the eyes were pasted on front woman Syd Duran. She is a beautiful, petite, exotic young woman that seduced the crowd with her piercing stare, pouty lips, and strut across the stage. But when she started singing people realized she is not only beautiful but she has some pipes on her. She has an excellent vocal range. To be honest with you I don’t think anyone noticed the 4 dudes on the stage because Syd and Taelor Duran were the two that stood out.
As we watched their set it was apparent that this is their first tour. The chemistry of the band is not all the way there, but their excitement to be on stage was defiantly apparent. When they played their current single “I waited for You” there was a great energy between the crowd and Valora. It seems like that single is going to well. And of course the crowd loved when they played the Breaking Benjamin Single “Blow Me Away”. We will be interested to see this band with a couple of tours under their belt, with more experience they could be really good.
Candle Light Red took the stage after Valora a band from Williamsport, PA . It was apparent these guys have been performing together for quite some time. They had excellent chemistry on stage and connected with the audience. The audience seemed to enjoy their vibe so much that they reacted by breaking out into a mosh pit. We enjoyed the balance of melodic songs and then there were songs with a harder edge. But honestly it was not a performance that we are going to remember forever.
It was 10:00pm at The ACE of Spades in Sacramento and it was finally time for the headliners, 10 years to hit the stage and the audience was ready for them. They came out with such confidence and ease. Ready to do what they do best. Though each of them are very different each of their presence adds to the dynamic of the band. Jesse immediately loses himself in song. His ethereal voice immediately captivated the audiences as they opened with “Empires”. Lewis is an intrrgral part of the show working the stage from left to right and top to bottom. His infectious smile lets you know he is having the time of his life up on stage.
They managed to play a lot of our favorites, Actions and Motives, All Your Lies, Beautiful, The Autumn Effect, Fade Into (The Ocean), Wasteland, Russian Roulette. All the songs blended perfectly into one another. It was like watching one of the greatest jam sessions ever.
Matt Brown a drummer based out of Florida is currently on tour with them treated the crowd to an unconventional drum solo. It did not have much continuity but the crowd seemed to enjoy it.
Of course the crowd went crazy as did we, when they played their encore and hit single “Shoot It Out”. It may have been the fact that Jesse gave us permission to “punch our mothers in the face” to this song…that really sets you up for what was about to erupt.
If you have never seen 10 Years live, you definitely need to add it to your bucket list.
