Highly Suspect is one of Americas rising stars in Alternative Rock scene. They started out as a cover band in local bars and now have moved to the top of the Billboard rock charts. They have carved their own unique style with combination of blues, rock and reggae, with a healthy dose of hard rock. Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, they have been a mainstream success since their first album Mister Asylum was released in July of 2015, however they earned their first number one rock hit with My Name Is Human, certified by RIAA as Gold, taken from following album called The Boy Who Died Wolf. Their new work MCID (My Crew Is Dope) follows the same success, and their main single from it 16 has also reached top position in Billboards Mainstream Rock Chart. So in August they went on tour to promote their latest work with a joint US / European tour.
So what makes them so special? Talent! These guys are very talented musicians and with very easily they can play blues and go hard rock, and then modern rock with elements of hip hop. Vocalist and guitarist Johnny Stevens is one hell of a character too. With tattoos covering all his visible body parts (yes, the face too), and his bad guy image he can still be cool and mellow. Twin brothers Ryan Meyer on drums and Rich Meyer on bass are excellent, with Rich also singing, playing occasional synthesizer and lighting up s joint while at it. Matt Kofos on guitar is also multi talented and replaced Ryan Meyer on drums for their rendition of Everything Is Sex.
They opened their set with three songs from their debut album – Bath Salts, Bloodfeather and Lost. After Rich stepping in to sing Round and Round they started to venture to their new songs, which felt lighter than their older ones. These Days, Juzo, Arizona and Freakstreet were highlights.
Then came their mega-hit My Name Is Human, which wasa somewhat unnecessary extended version with band member introductions and few thought out tidbits about life from Johnny. After that they went to change outfits and came out to what looked like a very long encore or just part two of the show. To be honest the latter stage of the show seemed a little bit over stretched, but nonetheless the crowd loved every second of it, probably because it felt more personal and had more of Johnny’s interactions with fans.
Highly Suspect are a treat to see live, though more extravagance would be fitting. Their talent is undeniable and overall an experience that was unforgettable.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Andris Jansons
