Empower Field hosted AC/DC on July 28 as part of their “Pwr Up” tour. Denver, the fifth city the band has stopped in, brought in over 45,000 people.
Myself, along with photographer KC Flannigan, had the opportunity to stop by Empower to check out one of the most legendary rock groups of all time, and needless to say, AC/DC lived up to that reputation.
The Pretty Reckless was the opener, with frontwoman Taylor Momsen lighting up the stage and getting the crowd absolutely pumped.
Fun fact: Momsen is actually the same girl who played Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).
Formed in 2009, The Pretty Reckless has released five studio albums since their formation, with the most recent being Dear God, which came out on June 26 of this year. They were also filming the audience as part of production for one of their music videos.
After an energizing performance, AC/DC opened with “If You Want Blood (You Got It),” while also performing other standout songs such as “Thunderstruck,” “Back in Black,” “Hells Bells,” “T.N.T.,” and many more.
The atmosphere of the concert was powerful, as the audience would stomp their feet in between songs out of excitement — so much so that we thought an earthquake was occurring at first. The audience also sang along to most of the songs the band played, and when they weren’t singing, they were either clapping or, more commonly, throwing up “the sign of the horns.”
Angus Young and Brian Johnson both captivated the audience in their own way, with Young showing off some masterful guitar riffs and licks, and even performing a 15-minute solo that was met with some of the loudest cheers we had ever heard. Johnson’s vocals were impressive as well, staying true to the sound that could be heard on “Back in Black” and “The Razor’s Edge.” Combined with the band’s banter with the audience, and everyone pouring their heart and soul into the concert, fans were left wanting more by the end.
Speaking of the end, they closed the night with an encore and fireworks, which could be seen and heard a few blocks away from the stadium.
Even after the concert was done, we could still feel the bass in our chests, proving once again that AC/DC still has that “high-voltage” feel in their performances.