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Evanescence, Halestorm ready to rock DCU Center Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Evanescence and Halestorm are two hard rock heavy metal bands fronted respectively by two Queens of Rock, Amy Lee and Lzzy Hale. It is Lee and Hale’s friendship that is largely responsible for Evanescence and Halestorm going on a U.S. tour together, which started Nov. 5 in Portland. The tour was scheduled to conclude (with rock singer Lilith Czar also featured) Dec. 18 at the DCU Center in Worcester. However, due due to multiple COVID-19 cases within the touring party, it was announced Monday that the DCU Center show has been postponed to Jan. 20. Nevertheless, it will be another major rock event for the DCU Center in recent weeks. The progressive rock Trans-Siberian Orchestra played two shows Nov. 27. Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours prior to event entry are required for Jan. 20. “Awesome. We are having such a good time,” Lee said of the tour during a recent teleconference call with Hale. The announcement about the postponement was made Dec. 13, fi ve days after the interview. All had seemed well at the time. The rearranged Jan. 20 show at the DCU Center will be the Evanescence and Halestorm tour’s only New England stop as well as the tour’s conclusion. “That’s going to be a big day … We should get some confetti or something,” said Lee. “I’ve probably mispronounced your city a couple of times,” Hale said, while getting her “Worcester” correctly. Both Evanescence and Halestorm have played at The Palladium in Worcester before, although not together. “We’re looking forward to it. Man, it’s just going to be a great time,” Hale said. Evanescence and Halestorm were both part of the 2012’s “Carnival of Madness” tour and that’s where Lee and Hale met and became friends. They
Evanescence will perform Dec. 18 at the DCU Center in Worcester PHOTO COURTESY KALEY NELSON
have since played on each other’s projects, but the current tour is the fi rst time the two bands have toured together in close to a decade, Lee said. “It’s kind of funny to think about it,” Hale said. “It feels like six diff erent lifetime since then. The great thing about Amy, we just picked up where we left off .” Evanescence was co-founded by Lee (vocals, piano) and guitarist Ben Moody (no longer with the band) in Little Rock,
Arkansas. It’s fi rst full-length album, “Fallen,” released in 2003, took off and eventually sold 17 million copies and won Grammy Awards in 2004 for Best Hard Rock Performance (for “Bring Me to Life”) and Best New Artist. The current lineup is Lee, bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, lead guitarist Troy McLawhorn, and guitarist and backing vocalist Jen Majura. Halestorm, formed in Red Lyon, Pennsylvania, consists of lead vocalist
and guitarist Lzzy Hale, her brother, drummer and percussionist Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bassist Josh Smith. Its self-titled debut album in 2009 was followed by “The Strange Case Of...” in 2012, and the lead single “Love Bites (So Do I)” won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance in 2013. Both bands have enjoyed ongoing See CONCERT, Page 8
