Photos: BUSH at the Artpark Amphitheater in Lewiston, NY

The threat of thunderstorms couldn’t dampen the packed crowd’s dedicated 90’s grunge nostalgia for the BUSH Loaded: Greatest Hits tour show at the Artpark Amphitheater in Lewiston, NY on August 17. Flannel was abundant at the beautiful state park overlooking the Niagara River.

The show opened with the punk-rock sounds of London-based Bones UK. Along with guitarist Carmen Vandenburg and drummer Heavy, lead singer & bassist Rosie Bones tackles feminist issues with a hard-driving bass line.

Thirty-year veterans Candlebox came out swinging with their iconic Seattle hard rock grunge sound. Current members Kevin Martin, Adam Kury, Brian Quinn, Island Styles, and BJ Kerwin performed a mix of classic hits and songs from more recent years, including “Elegante” from their newest and final studio album The Long Goodbye. They finished up their set with 90’s anthems “Far Behind” and “You”.

Revered heavy metal musician Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains brought his distinctive voice and hard-hitting guitar along with tour band, Zach Throne, Greg Puciato, Roy Mayorga, Eliot Lorango, and Lola Collette. Cantrell played an even balance of classic AIC favorites and solo works. They opened with “Psychotic Break” off of his 2002 solo album Degradation Trip and closed with one of Alice in Chains’s highest charting singles “Rooster”, which Cantrell wrote in tribute to his father. His new solo album, I Want Blood, will be released on October 18.

The BUSH Greatest Hits lived up to its name as headliner BUSH hit the stage with a high-intensity set led by singer and founding member Gavin Rossdale. He is joined by current band members Chris Traynor on guitar, Corey Britz on bass, and Nik Hughes on drums. BUSH’s sound has evolved with time, yet this set list blended seamlessly with a hard-rock through-line driven by Rossdale’s signature high-energy stage presence. They opened with their debut album Sixteen Stone’s hit single “Everything Zen”. The 1994 album was well represented throughout the set with the inclusion of “Machinehead” and “Little Things”. “Glycerine” and “Comedown” had the honor of closing the encore along with a funky cover of The Beatles “Come Together”.

The BUSH summer tour will continue for the next month until its conclusion at Nationals Park in Washington DC on September 21.

See photos below!