Saint Asonia, Black Stone Cherry, Any Given Sin

Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK

February 17, 2024

Review and Gallery By : Ally Arens

Hard rock mainstays Saint Asonia have just embarked on a month-long co-headlining tour with southern rockers Black Stone Cherry, set to take both bands throughout the central and eastern parts of the United States through March 9. Any Given Sin is set to serve as support on all shows. The Encore NIghts had the pleasure of catching the tour’s recent stop at Oklahoma City’s Diamond Ballroom. While it was quite chilly outside, all three bands brought the heat for a memorable night of hard and heavy rock.

Starting off the night were Maryland rockers Any Given Sin, first formed in 2015. The band released their debut full-length album War Within last year, and have been steadily gaining traction in the hard rock scene lately with the album’s re-release of their single “Dynamite,” and they started off the show with a short-but-sweet set that appropriately set the tone for the night to come with their blend of soulful vocals and groovy riffs.

Next up was the Kentucky-based Black Stone Cherry, a group I had heard in name many times but was only loosely familiar with in sound. They came out firing on all cylinders with guitarist Ben Wells running and jumping all over the stage while vocalist Chris Robertson belted out their hit “Me and Mary Jane,” and their energy did not wane at any point through their 12-song setlist that also included “White Trash Millionaire,” recent singles “Nervous” and “When the Pain Comes,” and even a surprise Tracy Chapman cover, but not the one you’re probably thinking – it was “Give Me One Reason,” and the crowd absolutely loved every second of it. 

Black Stone Cherry have a very unique, southern-tinged sound that is definitely unlike a lot of what typically graces my playlists, but they absolutely brought their A-game to the stage, and I recommend at least giving them a chance if you’re coming out to one of these shows.

Finally, a bit after 10 p.m., Saint Asonia took the stage, and they sounded absolutely phenomenal as they ripped into their recent single “Above It All,” before throwing it back to their previous records with “Better Place” and “The Hunted.” The band is fronted by former Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier and rounded out by Cale Gontier on bass, Cody Watkins on drums, and Tavis Stanley on guitar while founding guitarist Mike Mushok returns to work with Staind. While this was my third time seeing Gontier live – the first being one of his first post-3DG performances back in 2013, and the second with Saint Asonia in 2019 – Saturday night’s show was by far one of the best I’ve ever heard. Gontier’s vocals are unlike any other, and the rest of the band has an amazing chemistry that made for an extremely fun night of hard rock.

In addition to a full set spanning their discography, they also sprinkled in a few throwbacks for some of us longtime fans of Adam’s previous work, performing Three Days Grace’s “Never Too Late,” “I Hate Everything About You,” and “Riot,” as well as “I Don’t Care,” a track that Gontier released with Apocalyptica on their 2008 album Worlds Collide, much to the delight of many in attendance (including myself). 

When the show ended, I felt like a small part of my angsty teenage heart had healed just a bit; Three Days Grace was (and still is) one of my comfort bands, and they were actually one of the first rock bands I ever saw live. Even though it was 3DG’s first tour post-Adam’s departure, that night forever changed my relationship with live music, and getting to hear Adam sing a couple of those songs mixed in with Saint Asonia’s current discography over 10 years later was nothing short of amazing. 

If you’re looking for a fun night out full of head-bangs and vibes, I highly recommend catching Saint Asonia in a city near you when they come to town. Their current dates with Black Stone Cherry continue through March 6 in Charlotte, NC; these are followed by a couple of headlining shows through March 10. They will then set off on a run of shows with Staind at the end of April, with a few more headlining shows mixed in; tickets and dates for all upcoming shows can be found on their website.