It was a night of 90s nostalgia as grunge icons Candlebox rocked an Orlando crowd at The Plaza on March 13th. They walked onto the stage to a fake radio broadcast that tuned in to brief clips of songs by the band’s Seattle peers Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, and Pearl Jam. From that point on, the night was a celebration of the Seattle scene and in particular the twenty-fifth anniversary of Candlebox’s self-titled debut album. In honor of that anniversary, the setlist consisted of ten songs from that debut album, with only one song each from all of the rest of its discography.
Opening the set with the dynamic rocker “Change,” Candlebox made an early statement: Grunge is still relevant, loud distorted guitars are still the best instruments, and singer Kevin Martin still has one of the best voices in rock. Throughout the set, Martin crooned and screamed while prowling the stage, reaching across the barricade to high-five fans and shake their hands. He was as energetic and fierce as when those songs were new, belting out the notes in his distinctive scream that sounded as good as ever.
Candlebox always had a stronger blues influence than most grunge bands and that influence was apparent on this night, particularly on the extended jam by guitarists Brian Quinn and Island Styles on “Breathe Me In.” Martin and company sounded pristine in the quiet ballads, particularly with “Sometimes” and “He Calls Home.” In contrast, the band rocked out with ferocity on intense songs like “Don’t You” and the head-banger “Arrow.” It is in the combination of those two styles, however, where Candlebox is most at home.
Like many alternative bands, Candlebox has long made good use of strong loud-soft dynamics. From the power ballad “Cover Me” to the aggressive “Simple Lessons,” Candlebox abruptly transitioned from soft and soulful to loud and angry, Martin’s grainy howl somehow overpowering Quinn’s crunchy power chords.
Throughout the night, Martin treated the concert as a celebration, telling the stories behind the songs and introducing each album by announcing the year the show was now entering. He seemed genuinely flattered that twenty-five years later, a room full of people were still singing along to every word of his songs. Ending the show with the band’s biggest hit, the earwig “Far Behind,” Martin’s voice was almost drowned out by the fans screaming along with him. He and the rest of the band then left the stage triumphant, happy with the celebration of the landmark album in one of rock music’s greatest scenes.
