Chicagoland Gets Crushed: Five Finger Death Punch Live in Tinley Park

Aug 22

By Colette Custin Bevard

Celebrating the release of their tenth album Legacy, Vegas metal quartet Five Finger Death Punch arrived to crush skulls and take names at Tinley Park this week.

Opening the show was Detroit’s Eva Under Fire, a relatively new rock act who delivered bottomless energy from the moment they hit the stage. Vocalist Amanda “Eva Marie” Lyberg was a wicked, flashy force of nature, and if this performance was any indication, their star is rising quickly.

In a somewhat unexpected move, country rocker Cody Jenks delivered a straight set of honky-tonk style country mixed with southern rock. While Jenks may have been a surprising choice to some, Five Finger vocalist Ivan Moody reminded everyone who was in charge once the band hit the stage.

“We’ll play with whoever the fuck we want to,” he grinned, leading his own band through a twenty song setlist spanning the band’s entire discography. “Jekyll and Hyde,” “Burn it Down,” and a cover of Bad Company’s signature track had the crowd energized even in the summer heat, and a brief, a capella version of “Remember Everything” saw Moody getting introspective with the crowd as he discussed what the song means to him.

“I think I can deal with a little family PTSD to sing this for you,” he noted, having the crowd sing along, and a medley of rock anthems with vocals provided by guitarist Chris Kael lightened the mood a short while later (it’s worth mentioning that Kael, alongside founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory, are without a doubt one of the most punishing guitar duos in hard rock). Closing out with “The Bleeding” from the band’s 2007 debut The Way of the Fist, it was the perfect ending to the band’s ‘legacy’-spanning show.