Pop Evil concert proves band
is on the way up
![](Leigh.jpg)
GETTING INTO
IT: Leigh Kakaty belts out a song. / Photo
by Ben Hansen
By Ben Hansen, special contributor
March 5, 2009 | SALT LAKE CITY -- Tuesday night is
usually an odd night to get excited for going out. This
Tuesday was worth the excitement.
Pop Evil returned to town as the headliners for their
first Salt Lake show since opening for Tesla last year.
The show was initially scheduled for the Avalon, but
was moved the day of the show, due to fire code issues,
to the Murray Theater. A crowd was lined up in front
of the door by 6:30 for the show, even though the band
was not scheduled on until 9:30. Everything was in place
for Pop Evil to own the night . . . and they grabbed
the evening by the throat.
The band wasted no time in getting the audience going,
kicking off with Breathe, the second song from
their debut album Lipstick on the Mirror. Energy
flowed from the musicians as lead singer Leigh Kakaty
took the stage, and Leigh again began laying it all
out on the line, singing emphatically through not just
his voice, but also with his hands and body movements.
The audience barely had an opportunity to respond when
guitarists Tony Greve and Dave Grahs ground into the
opening riff to the fist-pumping anthem Three Seconds
to Freedom.
Songs in the set also included Ready or Not, Somebody
Like You, Stepping Stone, Shinedown and the yet-to-be
released track Rollin Stone, which has been
met with huge underground success. Taking a no-nonsense
approach and playing straight through with no encores,
Leigh donned an acoustic guitar himself, strumming out
the lighter side of the band's recent hit 100 in
a 55 while everyone in the audience sang along.
True to form, they finished up by igniting the audience
with a stellar rendition of their biggest hit thus far,
Hero.
A Pop Evil concert is so much more than just listening
to live music -- it's hearing and seeing the pure expression
of great music flow from each of them. This show had
all of the fireworks one could look for in a live performance
without a pyrotechnics license tons of audience interaction,
heavy songs, power ballads, and even water spray explosions
that would make HHH proud. Regardless of their national
radio exposure, these guys are young and hungry. You
can tell they love what they do, and you know that they
love being in front of the live audience. Their show
is solid, and it's a good bet that it won't be long
until they are playing a bigger venue the next time
they come to town.
Members of the band Pop Evil emote for the camera.
/ Photo by Ben Hansen
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