Eye Empire at Mojoes in Joliet, IL opening for Sevendust
Eye Empire is:
Donald Carpenter – Vocals
B.C. Kochmit – Guitar
Corey Lowery – Bass
Ryan Bennett – Drums
First time I heard of Eye Empire was when B.C. played a month of shows for Sevendust, while Clint Lowery was at home with the birth of his first child. B.C. impressed the hell out of me and got to talking with him after the set and he told me about EE being his band, since then they have been on my radar to see them play live.
EE was touring with Sevendust, one of my favorite bands to see play live. With Clint’s brother, Corey in the band, it seemed like a natural fit, along with the connection with Lajon singing on a track and Morgan Rose laying down the drums on the recording of their album, Moment of Impact. With opening bands, Candlelight Red and Seven day Sonnet setting the mood for tonight, the place got rocking once EE hit the stage. Opening the set with Ignite, Idiot, and Feels Like I’m Falling, the place erupted as the crowd came in closer to the very small stage.
Singer, Carpenter worked the crowd talking to them about being a family and how much love they have for the fans that have supported them. Seeing B.C. on my side of the stage, I was reminded at how sick of a guitar player he really is and some of the faces he makes are classic. Bennet was pretty much hidden by his huge drum set as he beat the hell out of them, along with Corey who was on the other side of the stage with no way to get to the other side.
They continued the assault with Self Destructive, a killer version of Bull in a China Shop, Victim, and Angels & Demons. When a band is still new to playing live, two differences that separate them from other new bands is the way they interact with the crowd and if they can connect with you as a fan. With Eye Empire, they do both and they make you feel like you’re part of the family, Sevendust does this perfect with their fans and EE is learning from the best.
The night ended with songs, Great Deceiver and I Pray, which highlighted a great setlist of music. They stayed by their merch booth and signed every fan’s item and thanked them way past midnight. Be on the lookout for Eye Empire in 2012 because this is one hungry band.
All Photos Provided by Peter Lizano
2 comments
Kurtis Dolber says:
Dec 7, 2011
That perfectly describes the shows I’ve seen. Hungry band is right…they grabbed the whole house on the first song and only pulled them closer. Being one of the guys screaming their lyrics back at them all night I’ve never been asked “Who ARE these guys?” so many times.
Casey says:
Dec 7, 2011
If this is your first introduction to the members of this band, I definitely recommend checking out their previous endeavors with bands. Each and every one is impressive. It was mindblowing when I heard of this band coming together, due to the fact that I was an avid follower of each of their former bands. They really take the time to make a fan feel like an equal rather than someone that should worship them. I got to see them on the Mushroomhead tour and was blown away with, not only their amazing performance, but also the love that they showed to each and every fan that walked up. Whether they were buying merch or not, each individual got their full attention. This band is a trendbreaker in many different categories, but the love for their fans is definitely going to help them on their way to the top.