It's early March and Store Vega is getting ready for the long-awaited performance of Chris Daughtry after almost two years of absence from the scene.
The last time the former American Idol contestant performed here was back in 2012 when he supported Nickelback on their European tour. And Copenhagen waits with anticipation for the North-Carolina-based artist to delight the hearts and ears of an eager audience – many of whom are ladies.
With four critically-acclaimed albums of romantic melodic hard rock to his name, Daughtry is a seasoned performer and evidently one with a solid local fanbase. The opening act Drivenfield, fellow melodic hard rockers from Horsens, kicks off a tad earlier than expected, as the clock reaches the five minutes to eight mark. The locals provide the audience with some ultra chart-climber melodic rock and easily accomplish their task of warming up the audience for the main act.
With the air warmed, the stage is set for a grand show at Store Vega. After the canonical half an hour wait, the lights come on again. Daughtry and his four-piece band greet us with 'Baptized', the title track from his latest release. It goes down well with a hearty round of applause to welcome the musicians.
The show is both smooth and energetic at once. We get charmed by countless love ballads, melodic rock tunes and choruses that are impossible not to sing along to. The ladies in particular are obsessed with Daughtry and show their affection with screams of appreciation.
As the night rolls on, timeless hits such as 'Over You', 'Home' and 'It’s Not Over', thunder through the evening air. A surprise element is a mellow cover of Phil Collins’ classic 'In The Air Tonight' towards the end of the show.
Unsurprisingly, when the fun is all over, the crowd gets hysterical with shrieks and stomps for an encore. And what an encore it is as we clap and stomp along with Daughtry for two more songs that drag on into the evening.
Come the curtain call and is is evident that Daughtry has put on a great show tonight, leaving both fans and amateurs like me with a night to remember. An entertainer of the people and a damn good musician, Daughtry's accomplished performance at Vega is proof that he's more than just a song contest participant.
Daughtry
March 5
Store Vega
4 out of 6 stars
