IRATION LIVE!! | REDHAT AMPHITHEATER
July 28th, 2022. It's your typical hot and humid summer day in the great state of North Carolina. The gates opened up early at 5, which was pleasantly nice for a change. LoL. The first performance of the evening was by The Grouch, with DJ Fresh. And what an opening act. They definitely got the crowd that was there ready for the following acts. They performed quite a few songs for the crowd and were very interactive with the crowd with handshakes and fist bumps during their set. Following them was Passafire.
Passafire was amazing. To be honest, this was my first time hearing of these guys. I was a bit shocked that I really enjoyed it because I'm a huge metal guy. So, rarely do I listen to reggae type music. These guys took the stage and commanded it. The crowd was a little bigger and louder for Passafire. Every song was just a good time. They definitely set the stage for Atmosphere!
When Atmosphere took the stage, you couldn't miss his smile! Again, another artist who this was my first time hearing of. I truly feel blessed to cover shows of bands that I only know the name of or is legit the first time hearing of them. And boy, Atmosphere brought the house down...and the rain! Hahaha. Atmosphere performed songs spanning his whole career. And the crowd loved it! They sang along as he performed. He was smooth, articulate, and smart in all his songs. I really appreciate that in a hip-hop artist. It wasn't just mumbling and whatever it is called today. You can tell if you listen that he thinks about what he's going to say. During his set, the bottom fell out and started to pour. It was actually nice to get the sticky feeling from the heat and humidity off of ya for a few minutes. Atmosphere kept performing and killed it! He prepared the crowd for the next and final band for the evening, Iration.
Now, unlike the others, I have heard of and have listened to Iration before. And let me tell you, they DID NOT disappoint. The chill, easy going vibe was just awesome. They had a great set which included songs Stay Awake, Reelin', Midnight, and a couple cover songs! I'm a sucker for a great cover song, and theirs were wonderful. Their 16 song setlist kept the crowd going. There wasn't a person who wasn't singing along, while being soaked from the rain. And it was perfect. Iration kept the vibe at Red Hat chill. They jammed along and every person on stage got a small solo, which was awesome! I'm telling you, not one person felt bad leaving the show that night! I immediately added every band to my Spotify playlist and jammed with my windows down.
The Sunshine and Summer Nights Tour did not disappoint and if you can make it to a show, you have to! It's good for the whole family! And you will not be disappointed in anyone performing!
Contributing photographer and editor James Benson
