Seether Promotes Poison the Parish with Shaman’s Harvest and The Dead Deads

On Sunday, December 3, Seether performed at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Md., with openers Shaman’s Harvest and The Dead Deads. The show was a part of the band’s “Poison the Parish” Tour in the U.S., which began late November.

One thing a bit different for this show compared to regular rock shows was the time of the sets. The concert itself didn’t start until 8 p.m. The Dead Deads rocked for a good 40 minutes before Shaman’s Harvest took the stage, and then Shaman’s Harvest stayed on until a bit past 9:30 p.m. Seether didn’t make their way onto the stage until around 10 p.m., which is pretty late for a headliner to go on. Usually, headliners will go on by the 9:30 p.m. mark.

The Dead Deads provided a pretty-hyped opening. They are a four-piece band, with a female lead singer/guitarist, a female bassist/vocals, female drummer, and a male on guitar and vocals. This ensemble was a nice surprise considering Seether and Shaman’s Harvest contrast by having all-male members. The group’s sound was also a bit different compared to Seether and Shaman’s Harvest. While the core rock sound is probably what links these three groups together, The Dead Deads sounded like a current Nirvana mixed with sound similar to Ok-Go and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. There also seems to be a little bit of Green Day influence within their sound as well. The band could easily tour with a group such as SWMRS without looking out of place, but it was a bit odd seeing them with Shaman’s Harvest and Seether. But while they were sort of the odd-genre-out during this show, that’s not to say they didn’t rock their set. At one point, their music did get hardcore/scream-esque, so that provided a connection as to why they were a part of this rock tour.

Next up was Shaman’s Harvest. It was a surprise initially when noticing Shaman’s Harvest was one of the openers for this tour, seeing as this past summer, the group toured with Nickelback, so it was hard to see the connection with Seether. Although now, with Seether and Nickelback’s recent tour announcement (Seether heading out as opener on Nickelback’s Europe portion of their “Feed the Machine” Tour next May and June), it’s easier to see Shaman’s Harvest’s connection on this tour. Shaman’s Harvest definitely has that rock aspect in common with Seether and, when comparing them and The Dead Deads, definitely a better fit as opener. The lead singer had a mike stand that looked like animal bone carcass (think it was fake but can’t be entirely sure). If that doesn’t emphasize fitting in with the hardcore/rock vibes Seether also has, it’s hard to say what does. The group also added a synth-vibe to lead singer’s Nathan Hunt’s vocals, which fits in with the sound some of Seether’s songs have. So, even though initially the groups’ touring together seemed odd, by the end of their set, it was clear why they were chosen for this tour.

Once Seether came on, the crowd was pumped to finally hear the band they came out for. Not much dialogue came from the group, but lead singer Shaun Morgan did thank the crowd for coming out a few times during their set. As expected, the band celebrated their latest album Poison the Parish, but also played hits such as “Fake It” and “Broken” (version sans Amy Lee). Seether offered something different compared to the typical rock show as well. While there was not much dialogue, the group kept things interesting by having guitar/bass riffs continue playing between song intermissions. Usually, performers will have a distinct cut off on songs, but it was cool how they kept riffs going as a transition between each song. It kept the energy hype and further emphasized the rock band’s talent. The group, as mentioned, started around 10 p.m., but managed to keep playing until around 11:30 p.m. Even though they went on rather late, they gave the fans roughly an hour and a half set, which is pretty substantial for any show and made the night worth it.

Overall, the night ended up being more eclectic than originally thought going into it. Each group had a rock base with something more to offer, whether it was synth-tones, bohemian rock, hardcore rock, or soft-metal. Each of the groups are done with touring for the year, but Seether and Shaman’s Harvest have some dates coming up in 2018. Check out Seether’s upcoming tour with Nickelback here, or for more general tour dates, go here. To keep up with Shaman’s Harvest, click here. Also, keep an eye on any of The Dead Deads shows here.