It may have poured down rain, but that wasn’t going to stop Cleveland, Ohio, from showing up to Five Finger Death Punch‘s (FFDP) “20th Anniversary Tour” here at Blossom Music Center.

Even with all the rain and the few delays, the crowd couldn’t wait to get into the venue. Once the rain had settled and everyone had begun filling in, Eva Under Fire promptly began their set to make up lost time. Starting with “Awakening,” Eva showed the crowd the sheer power of her vocals, screaming into the mic to make sure the people walking in knew who was on stage. The band continued with four more songs, such as “My Own Name” and “Comatose,” before closing out with some of the biggest songs in their arsenal. Playing through “Villainous” off of their latest release of the same name, the song had been a collaboration with Maria Brink of In This Moment, topping the U.S. charts at No. 7. The time had come for Eva Under Fire to end their set, and as a final preparation for the night ahead, the band ripped into “Blow,” the 2022 song featuring Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills.

Up next on the stage was Cody Jinks, not what you normally expect to see on a rock concert bill. Although after the last FFDP tour with Brantley Gilbert, FFDP’s own Zoltan Bathory made mention in a conversation with SiriusXM that they had noticed a good reception to the mixed genre pairings, and since Cody was already a fan of the band, they figured it would work again, and they were right. By the time Cody took to the stage, Blossom was already turning into a sea of people. Playing through a 12-song set, Cody and the band had the crowd off their feet and dancing along, hitting songs like “FAST HAND,” “Hippies and Cowboys,” “Momma Song,” and “Must Be The Whiskey.” Jinks even threw in a little story time, talking about AC/DC and how he had the opportunity to take his son to see them this year, just as he did with his dad years ago, before playing “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N’ Roll)” for the crowd. Ending the set in the best way he knows how, with “Loud & Heavy,” Cody got the fans ready for the only Five Finger Death Punch.

The time had come for FFDP to take the stage. The lights went dark, and a video popped onto all of the screens, making the already wild crowd grow crazier with more anticipation to see their favorite band. As the video came to its end, the band raced to the stage, taking their respective places before starting the show right with “Welcome to the Circus.” Continuing the fun, the band kept going, playing through “Eye of the Storm” and “Legacy” from their latest album of the same name as the latter. In total, FFDP played 20 songs, playing songs such as “Lift Me Up,” “Jekyll and Hyde,” “De Oppresso Liber,” and “Burn MF.” 

Before the band played some of “Remember Everything,” Ivan Moody took the time to talk about PTSD and the ways it affects people; how some of those early songs he wrote are difficult for him to play, as to play them is to relive those memories. But he knows that the “family” of fans grew up on those songs, and he doesn’t feel right stripping that right to hear them live away, so he felt it necessary to include the song for them. Afterward, the band started closing out the night, getting through songs like “Wrong Side of Heaven,” “IOU,” and “Never Enough” before wishing the crowd a goodnight and heading to the side stage to await the encore.

Coming back out onto the stage to a roar from the fans, Five Finger Death Punch closed out the night with some heavy hitters. Starting with “Under and Over It,” before keeping the energy going with “Sham Pain,” and finally, FFDP couldn’t send everyone home without hearing “The Bleeding.” 

If FFDP knows how to do one thing, that’s keeping the fans yearning for more.

EVA UNDER FIRE | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

CODY JINKS | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

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