ROCHESTER — For a band that has more than 50 years of history and music, you would expect a certain amount of nostalgia at their shows.
That was the case with Judas Priest when they rocked an arena crowd at the Mayo Civic Center on Tuesday night, Sept. 24, 2024.
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The hall of fame metal band’s second song of their show was one of their hits, “Another Thing Comin’,” which in 1982 elevated the group to playing stadiums.
They also played “Breakin’ The Law,” one of their earlier international hits.
However, Judas Priest did not rely solely on history and hits to entertain the crowd.
“Nostalgia is a good thing,” Rob Halford told the crowd. “It’s a good place to go, visit, remember how grateful we should be, how humble we should be to move this far along on our heavy metal journey together.”
With that, though, he introduced the title track from the group’s latest album, “Invincible Shield” which was released in late 2023.
That song and album opener, “Panic Attack” were a balanced blend of muscle, melody, and speed. The group nailed the fast riffs and melodies which had the crowd on their feet. Opener Swedish power metal band Sabaton, with a tank-themed drum riser, also helped with that task.
The floor of the arena had been set up with rows of chairs. From the moment Judas Priest hit the stage, almost no one who bought a seat was using it. People filled the aisle as the show progressed, despite much of the crowd being older.
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Credit has to go to Halford for his stage presence, walking out wearing sunglasses in full command of the stage. After a quick band huddle, Halford moved about the stage checking with each musician before walking down the center of the stage to redirect his attention to the crowd. They ate it up.
The show ended with a three-song encore that included an audience singalong to “Living After Midnight” after Halford rumbled back on stage on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
By the time Halford took a moment with the audience to talk about nostalgia and thank them for being part of the group’s ongoing metal journey, he had softened and charmed the concertgoers with his genial demeanor. That made jumping into “Invincible Shield” all the more satisfying and impactful.
Although the crowd had plenty of gray-haired people in black T-shirts, young people were well represented including a 10-year-old fan in the front row who Halford acknowledged and Sabaton lead singer Joakim “Jocke” Broden gifted a pair of aviator sunglasses.
That, along with guitarists Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap and bass player Ian Hill tossing picks and handing out fist bumps before a group bow with Halford and drummer Scott Travis made the Judas Priest show one that will be fuel for nostalgia for Rochester fans for years to come.
The Trust Project
