Words and Photography by Lori Anne McKone.
The September 27 triple-threat lineup at SPAC – Corrosion of Conformity, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper – was a full-throttle celebration of metal’s enduring spirit, with each act delivering a distinct flavor of rebellion and theatricality. Lori Anne McKone captured some of the night in words and pictures.
Judas Priest
By the time Judas Priest took the stage, the air was already thick with anticipation – and they didn’t waste a second cutting through it. From the first riff, it was clear: this wasn’t a concert. It was a reckoning. A reminder of what metal sounds like when it’s forged in fire and precision.
Rob Halford didn’t just sing, he commanded. His voice was a weapon, sharp and deliberate, and every time he hit a high note, it felt like the crowd collectively braced for impact. Watching him move – measured, regal, almost predatory – you could feel the years of mastery behind every gesture. He didn’t need to run across the stage. He owned it by standing still.
The dual guitar work was surgical. It wasn’t just loud, it was layered, melodic, and brutal in all the right places. “Painkiller” felt like a ritual, like the crowd had been waiting their whole lives to scream that chorus into the night. And when “Living After Midnight”
hit, it was pure release – joyful, defiant, communal.
What struck me most was how tight everything felt. Not just musically, but emotionally. There was no filler, no indulgence. Just a band that knows exactly who they are and what they mean to the people in front of them. For me, it wasn’t nostalgia, it was awe. They weren’t coasting on legacy. They were proving it.
The metal gods roared in with their Shield of Pain tour, unleashing a setlist that spanned decades. Highlights included classics like “Breaking the Law,” “Painkiller,” and “Hellbent for Leather,” alongside deeper cuts like “Solar Angels” and “Giants in the Sky.” Rob Halford’s vocals were commanding, and the dual guitar assault kept the crowd in a frenzy. The encore – “Living After Midnight” – was pure catharsis, a communal scream into the night.
