Concert Review -The Pretty Reckless- St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI – 11/10/16

November 22, 2016 | By Shawn Thornton More

The Pretty Reckless are currently touring in support of their latest album “Who You Selling For” which has become one of my favorite releases so far this year along with other new releases from The Dead Daisies and Alter Bridge. The Pretty Reckless tour came through Detroit last week for a SOLD OUT show at St. Andrews Hall, located in the heart of Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings were playing just a few blocks away which made for a busy commute and a little bit of a parking fiasco.

I have been really looking forward to this show. In addition to the show, it was also my 43rd birthday as of midnight that night. I brought along a good friend of mine, Christina, who is a big fan of The Pretty Reckless. Sadly we didn’t get there in time to catch the opening acts, Them Evils and The Holy White Hounds but from speaking with others there. The Pretty Reckless were about to go on shortly, around 9:50pm.

The band’s opening track was “Follow Me Down”, from their second album “Going To Hell”. This set the tone for next 65 minutes. The lighting was pretty scarce during the first couple songs, but you can see the band really getting into it. That is the kind of stuff that I really dig when going to see a live act. There are a lot of shows I go to where some bands just phone it in during their 70-90 minutes on stage. Fans pick up on that stuff too. Taylor, Mark, Ben and Jamie were locked in such a kickass groove that it was impossible not to have a huge friggin smile or grin on your face while having your fists pumped in the air. One thing about concerts is, that during the time bands are on stage that fans can leave whatever problems they have going on with life and just live for the moment while that band is performing. This concert was just that. The resent US Presidential election just ended a couple days prior to this show. I couldn’t wait to just enjoy a show, celebrate my birthday and get away from all the non-sense I see on a daily basis via social media.

The Pretty Reckless kept its 11 song set, a good mix of new and old material. From their latest album, the band is currently doing 3 songs from it (Oh My God, Living In The Storm. and Take Me Down). I think it was during the performance of their recent # 1 hit “Take Me Down” that I looked at the band and the crowd thinking that this may be the last time we see them in a small club. I have a feeling that they are going to have a lot of success with this record and move on to playing larger theaters on their own. Whether they play a club, theatre or arena, I have no doubt in my mind that The Pretty Reckless are going deliver a high energy show, just like the one I witnessed that night. I thought “Heaven Knows” stood out above the rest, mainly due to the audience participation during that song. They were just as loud as the band was, singing right along with Taylor. The band wrapped up their set with “Fucked Up World”. My only complaint was that the show was not longer. 65 minutes does not seem like a long enough show.

The band’s current tour is wrapping up in early/mid December. As bassist Mark Damon recently said in our interview with him, the band plans to keep touring, touring, touring over the next year. I look forwarding to seeing them again next year.

Visit The Official Pretty Reckless Website for the latest tour dates

Click the image below to purchase their latest album!