BUSH ENDS THEIR NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR WITH AN EPIC SHOW AT THE GREEK THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES
Bush wrapped up their recent North American summer tour with a fantastic show at the famed Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Celebrating their recent Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023 release, the band trekked across the USA with Jerry Cantrell, Candlebox, and Bones UK as support as they ripped through the biggest tracks of their famed catalog. Jerry Cantrell, the iconic guitar shredder and ringleader of Alice In Chains, was electrifying the Greek with his all-star solo band as we settled into the venue. Cantrell played songs throughout his solo career, including his soon-to-be-released fourth album, I Want Blood. Bush and Alice In Chains have toured together in the past, so the overlap between the fans of both groups is substantial. Of course, during the classic Alice In Chains songs, where Better Lovers/ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato shines performing Layne Stanley’s iconic parts, the crowd erupted. Cantrell ended his set with Alice In Chains’ smash “Rooster” and left the audience primed for Bush.
Bush hit the stage running, launching straight into “Everything Zen,” the raucous opening track from their milestone debut album, 1994’s Sixteen Stone. The energy from the general admission pit during Bush’s opening salvo was intense. Fans jumped, danced, sang, and shouted over frontman Gavin Rossdale with loving enthusiasm. True, the song’s opening verse boasts lyrics about Rossdale pondering a trip to Los Angeles as he performed said song in front of thousands of screaming LA natives. Perhaps this shout-out to his adopted hometown helped rile everyone inside the Greek up, but that’s what Bush’s iconic post-grunge rock jams are designed to do. Prompt large swathes of people to jump and sing…which is precisely what Bush’s LA crowd did all night.
Bush fans along the barricade
As the title of their tour suggested, Bush played hits throughout their career, from their smash debut to their recent 2022 album, The Art of Survival. Fan favorites like “Greedy Fly” and “Little Things” sat comfortably on the setlist alongside newer tracks like the vast “Heavy Is the Ocean.” One of the wildest moments of the evening was when Rossdale ran into the crowd during “Flowers On a Grave” off 2020’s The Kingdom and spent the duration of the song traveling throughout the venue, brushing up against fans at every stop. It was quite a sight watching the different generations of fans in attendance come together during Bush’s pummeling rendition of the Beatles “Come Together.” Candlebox singer Kevin Martin dazzled the crowd on that one, while Jerry Cantrell joined the band to end the night with a stunning edition of “Comedown.” This was a perfect rock’n’roll evening in Los Angeles, and someone should ask Mr. Rossdale about doing this again next summer!