Five Finger Death Punch Celebrate 20 Years of Music at PNC Bank Arts Center
By the time the sun started going down over PNC Bank Arts Center on August 5, the parking lot had already turned into its own pre-show. Fans arrived early, setting up in the lot, tailgating, and soaking up the last stretch of summer. This show marks another stop on Five Finger Death Punch’s US 20th Anniversary Tour, bringing New Jersey fans together to celebrate two decades of their favorite hard rock band.
FFDP entered into its 20th year with plenty to celebrate. Their tenth studio album, Legacy, was released digitally on July 31, just days before the PNC show, with physical CDs and vinyls coming in September. The new album found its way into the set alongside some of the band’s biggest songs, giving the anniversary tour a chance to look back while still making room for new material.
The anniversary celebration also extends beyond the music. Five Finger Death Punch has long supported veterans, first responders and their families, and this year the band is also giving back to the next generation of athletes, with a portion of tour proceeds going toward judo and BMX athletes preparing for the Olympics.
“Welcome to the Circus” opened the night as Ivan Moody made his way onto the stage, joined by Zoltan Bathory on rhythm guitar, Chris Kael on bass, Andy James on lead guitar and Charlie Engen on drums. The band followed the opening track with “Eye of the Storm” before playing “Legacy,” giving the crowd two of the band’s newest tracks within the first three songs.
Ivan Moody started the show in a red shirt and matching Vans before adding his unmistakable spiked letterman jacket to his outfit. He spent the night moving around the stage with a brass knuckle microphone in hand, constantly finding his way toward the crowd. His wardrobe kept changing as the set went on, eventually trading the red tee he gave to a fan for a Five Finger Death Punch shirt. By the end of the night, he had stripped away nearly everything he started the show wearing and sent it out into the crowd as tangible memories.
“Lift Me Up” was one of the night’s biggest visual surprises. Sparks shot down from the ceiling while smoke hung around the stage catching the lights, making the entire performance look cinematic. The production continued to build from there, with pyro appearing throughout songs like “Burn It Down,” “Burn MF” and “Sham Pain.”
Engen’s drum solo brought another change to the stage as he sat 10 feet above the rest of the band, his drum kit was surrounded by a screen that wrapped around the platform.
Even with all of the production happening around them, the band never looked buried beneath it. Bathory, Kael, James and Engen were all smiles, having a fantastic time onstage, feeding off each other’s energy while Moody worked the crowd from one side of the stage to the other.
Moody battled sound issues throughout the set, but he never let it derail the performance. He continued pushing through the songs, giving the crowd the same energy he had brought out from the start.
After “Burn MF,” the band stripped things down for an a cappella moment with the audience before moving into “Wrong Side” and “Battle Born.”
“IOU,” “Trouble” and “Never Enough” carried the set toward its final stretch before the band left the stage, leaving fans begging for more.
The encore opened with “Under and Over” before “Sham Pain” brought the pyro back one more time. “The Bleeding” closed the night with another round of fire and smoke, leaving the stage glowing and hazy as the band closed out their show.
Twenty years of Five Finger Death Punch is a lot to fit into one night, but PNC got an incredible attempt at it. Between the new Legacy tracks, longtime favorites, and Moody giving away half of what he wore, the show was a night packed with everything that makes a Five Finger Death Punch show what it is.
Photos and review by Bek Allegretti
