Piere’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana was the place to be on Thanksgiving Eve this year for the “Animal Instinct Tour” with Pop Evil and Bad Wolves along with special guests Sierra Pilot and ONI!

Considering it was a cold and rainy night in the Midwest, it was a packed house inside Piere’s for this barn burner of a tour! I have said this once and I will say it again, the Midwest loves their metal!!

First up was ONI, a metal band formed in Canada by vocalist Jake Oni. With their unique blend of metalcore and progressive, they come at you with heavy hitting riffs, powerful vocals and melodic elements. They did an amazing job getting the crowd engaged and warmed up for the evening! I was super impressed by them and will definitely be adding them into my listening lineup.

Next up, hailing from our northern neighbor Canada, Sierra Pilot is a rock band that incorporates a fusion of rock, grunge and modern rock influences. They brought the energy and continued to build the connection with the audience that takes any great concert to the next level. 

It was finally time for Bad Wolves, a high octane metal band originally formed in LA. I was super excited to see them, as I have been trying to catch them for a while, and it finally worked out! They had an unrelenting, high-energy from start to finish! They were heavier than I anticipated, which I loved!! A pit even broke out at one point. They played several hit tracks including ‘Killing Me Slowly’, ‘Lifeline’, ‘Sober’, ‘Legends Never Die’ and of course the hit song that pushed them into the scene, The Cranberries cover of ‘Zombie’! 

Closing out the night was the legendary hard rock powerhouse Pop Evil, formed in Michigan over 20 years ago! After 3 amazing, high vibrancy bands, they had no problem keeping the crowd captivated with explosive energy and kept everyone on their feet for the entire set. Leigh Kakaty’s commanding stage presence and powerful vocals created an electric undertone throughout the rest of the evening. The connection between the band and their fans was undeniable! Many hit songs including ‘Eye Of The Storm’, ‘Trenches’, ‘Torn To Pieces’, ‘Breathe Again’, ‘Waking the Lions’ and new track, ‘Deathwalk’. A highlight for me was a little kid rocking out perched on their parents’ shoulders for the entire show, all 4 bands! I was so happy to catch them for the first time, and I definitely hope to see them again sooner rather than later!