Lamb of God’s return to Richmond delivered an explosive hometown show of metal and mayhem that fired up the crowd and celebrated their local legacy.
The Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront is the newest venue in Richmond, VA, and while it has already hosted quite a few shows, it wasn’t until the one-off hometown show from local legends Lamb of God that it felt like the venue had come alive. And while it was one of the most blisteringly hot days so far this summer, the crowd never wavered in their energy and excitement to see the hometown legends.
Starting off the night was Hatebreed, who immediately fired up the crowd with their fierce intensity. The hardcore band stormed the stage in the sweltering heat, urging concert-goers to rock the pit. Vocalist Jeremy Jasta wasted no time commanding the crowd and dominating the stage, jumping around, shouting for fans to create circle pits. Hatebreed was a great addition to this one-off show, before continuing on with their own tour, the Weight of the False Self Tour.
Next up was heavy-metal band, GWAR. Another Richmond legacy band, GWAR really turned things up with absolute chaos on stage. Within the first song, “F**k This Place,” GWAR brought out the theatrics and gore by decapitating Elon Musk, who then sprayed fake blood all over the crowd from his neck. This was then shortly followed after with President Trump being split open, fake blood again spraying the crowd, during their song “El Presidente.” GWAR made sure the hometown crowd experienced all the outrageous theatrics they had to offer in a blood-soaked spectacle. If you had never witnessed a GWAR performance before, this was definitely one for the books. As the sun had set and the evening started to cool off, slightly, it was time for Lamb of God to take the stage. Opening up their set with “Resurrection Man,” the Richmond-based band brought the heat. Vocalist Randy Blythe never stops moving during any of their performances – blink, and you might miss where he’s moved on to. With his commanding stride and his gravity-defying jumps, Blythe never missed a beat. Crowd favorites, like “Walk With Me in Hell,” “Laid to Rest,” and “Redneck,” were scattered throughout the curated setlist. Lamb of God is known for their usage of pyro during their sets, and that night was no different. With the lights flashing greens and blues, to the pyro flumes engulfing the stage, Lamb of God created the ultimate hellish landscape.Lamb of God’s hometown show comes on the heels of their recent performance at the Back to the Beginning show, Ozzy Osborne’s final concert. In the wake of the heartbreak that was Ozzy’s passing just a few days prior to the show, Lamb of God performed their cover of Black Sabbath’s song “Children of the Grave,” which they also performed at that final Ozzy show. It was a touching and emotional tribute to the Prince of Darkness. Even with the apparent grief that surrounded Ozzy’s passing, the band and the crowd remained unwavering in their celebration of the night. Fans sang along with Blythe as the powerful cover emitted across the riverfront.
This one-off hometown show was everything Richmond could have ever hoped for. With both Lamb of God and GWAR delivering powerful and fearsome performances, along with Hatebreed’s energetic opener, this was a show that could be heard across the city.
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