April 28th, the Trocadero played host to the first night of Kamelot's month long Haven North American tour, with Dragonforce supporting. It wasn't supposed to be that way, but civil unrest in Baltimore scrapped the planned kick off. In August 2011, the Floridians toured the Northeast during a hurricane. Talk about timing! Speaking with founder/guitarist Thom Youngblood, in a restaurant across from the venue, prior to the gig, he explained that this tour was planned/routed a year ago. Not only did the band hold the meet & greet in Baltimore, but the show was cancelled literally as Dragonforce was ready to take the stage. Although there were four songs off Haven scheduled for Baltimore, they aired only three in Philly, the evening ending title track being omitted. Since the album's yet to be released, they're breaking the material in gradually, but Youngblood claims by Montreal, there will be five newbies in the mix.

Elaborately staged, with keyboardist Oliver Palotai, a female backing singer perched aloft, peering down on Casey Grillo's drum cage, as Youngblood, braid bouncing bassist Sean Tibbetts and singer Tommy Karevik have plenty of roam to roam, including elevated light boxes positioned at the front of the stage. Speaking of lighting, Kamelot had a firestorm of spots, shooting from behind the band, towards the crowd. So many, it looked like the climactic scene in Raiders Of The Lost Ark!

The initial pairing of "When The Lights Are Down" and "Ghost Opera" are both stormers that see Youngblood, Karevik and Tibbetts getting an aerobic workout, stepping up and down the light boxes and from running about. Like an eagle surveying from a promontory, the crouched, but amazingly balanced, singer rises, stretching on tip toes, arms outstretched. The US debut of "Veil Of Elysium" surfaced after "The Great Pandemonium". Plenty of green and strobe lights for "My Confession". Seems the guitarist purposefully tries to minimize his contact with the crowd, deferring to the new-ish frontman (Karevik, also of Seventh Wonder, joined in 2012). "Center Of The Universe" sees bright yellows shine into the crowd's face, a cornucopia of colors, atypical of most metal shows, were employed throughout. #0 minutes in and the first slowdown is the ballad off Silverthorn, "Song For Jolee", where the fans, also sensing a moment of rest, take out their cellphones, a sea of blue screens dotting the otherwise black mass on the floor and nicely matching the hues onstage.

"Karma" kicked proceedings into high gear once again, with white streaks invading the blue, as it seamlessly morphed into a Grillo solo, where strobes surrounded his kit, flashing as each drum beat elicited a chant from the fans. The industrial tinged "Revolution, the second new offering, saw Tibbetts stalk the stage, as rust colored lights sweep overhead. "Decibel" saw Karevik alone, pillars of deep blue breaking the blackness onstage. After filming the response on Youngblood's cellphone, "Torn" begins with a halo of white strobes, Tibbetts pin-wheeling his braided locks. Later, the stage is immersed in yellow and purple florescents. 

"Insomnia" and "Veritas" follow, before a rousing "Forever", a fitting closer, ends the proper set, albeit just a brief intermission, before the band return for a two-song encore, "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife) and the pummeling drums to "March Of Mephisto". The beat is pounding for Kamelot, banging down doors and barriers to a new generation of fans, if the large, boisterous continent of under-21 attendees in Philly is any indication. Pick up a copy of Haven and watch for them on tour. 

Earlier in the evening, a more subdued, but certainly frisky, Dragonforce opened the show. The R rated rants and overt drunkenness of yesteryear are gone, although there's still a wah wah pedal on the stage-front rider and visible bottles of Corona Lite in the holders of each mic stand. Got the distinct impression that most were OK with the Dragons being on the bill, just that they were really there to see Kamelot. it was a mix of the histrionic past and the toned down days, since singer marc Hudson has joined the ranks. The band sported decidedly heavier T-shirts too, guitarist Sam Totman opting for a black Bathory tee, while Frederic Leclercq (bass) chose Death. As the opener, the stage remained a foggy, pink lit hue for the entire performance. "3 Hammers" was up early, as was "Operation Ground And Pound", which got the crowd jumping, just from its intro. Vadim Pruzhanov, who began the night in cut-off denim jacket and dark sunglasses, frequentlygrabbed a keytar and joined Totman, his guitar partner Herman Li and Leclercq at the front of the stage. Hudson moved around, but given the limitations, appeared most at home, atop the riser, legs splayed wide. They announced the In The Line Of Fire DVD is scheduled for a July release, prior to "Symphony Of The Night". Clapping introduced "Cry Thunder", as little purple lights illuminated the frets on Li's guitar. A cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire" would seem like one to end the night with, but they added "Through Fire And Flames" for good measure, the singer and keyboardist first running through the photo pit/barricade to slap hands with the fans, then climbing the house sound system, to reach the over 21s in the balcony.

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