Skillet playing “Monster” live at the Mesa Ampitheatre on Friday, October 11, 2024.
By Teri O.
I can’t believe I got to go to a Skillet concert! I’ve been a fan of theirs for the past two years, ever since they became my favorite Christian rock band. I must admit, I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t start listening to them sooner. I’ll be forever indebted to the Great American PureFlix show LIVE+LOCAL for introducing me to them! In episode two, Tommy and Tina interviewed John Cooper, the band’s lead vocalist, songwriter and bass player. His wife, Korey, does backing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. Apparently they have a relentless touring schedule and they bring their kids along. It was so endearing to hear how she’d run off stage to feed the baby and then come back with spitup on her black leather jacket. LOL! Anyway, I’ve been loving Skillet ever since, and I like their older albums as much as their newer ones.
The Band
Skillet (now based in Kenosha, Wisconsin) was formed in Memphis, Tennessee, and debuted on the Christian rock circuit in 1996. Skillet’s music is actually a unique blend of Christian rock, grunge rock, industrial rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, along with a few other things mixed in (that’s why they call themselves Skillet, ha). In addition to John and Korey Cooper, band members include Seth Morrison (lead guitar) and Jen Ledger (drums, co-lead vocals). A girl drummer, yay! AND she has a crystal clear singing voice!
The band has released 11 studio albums (soon to be 12!), two of which, Collide and Comatose, received Grammy nominations. The Comatose and Awake albums are certified Platinum and Double Platinum respectively, while Rise and Unleashed are certified Gold. Four of their songs, “Monster,” “Hero,” “Awake and Alive,” and “Feel Invincible,” are certified Multi-Platinum. Three of their songs, “Whispers in the Dark,” “Comatose,” and “The Resistance” are certified Platinum. Another five songs, “Stars,” “Rebirthing,” “Not Gonna Die,” “The Last Night,” and “Legendary” are certified Gold.
Skillet’s 2009 breakout single “Monster” remains one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time, and the biggest digital single in the history of Christian music! In a 2010 interview with TeensForLife.com, John Cooper said:
“‘Monster’ is a song about something the Bible refers to as ‘the sinful nature,’ or ‘the old self.’ This basically means that now that I have been saved and forgiven, and am a new creation in Christ, why do I sometimes still feel like a monster inside? Sometimes I don’t feel like doing what is right and good. Sometimes it’s easier to get angry with people who treat me wrong instead of loving them with Jesus’ love. I think we can all relate to that. This song is saying that there is a secret side to me that struggles, but I know it’s not the real me. The song says, ‘Why won’t somebody come and save me from this, make it end!’”
The Concert
When I saw that Skillet was going to be playing in Mesa, Arizona, I jumped at the chance to see them live in concert. They’re well worth the effort to go see in person, if you ever get the chance. They put on a powerful performance. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed! (Don’t forget to bring your ear plugs!) The only thing I didn’t like was that they only played for an hour, so it was over way too fast! There were two other acts (Royale Lynn, Tim Montana) before Skillet, and one band (Seether) that came after them, who were all fine musicians but took time away from the band I liked the most.
Skillet basically performed a bunch of their greatest hits, every one a song that I love. They started right off the bat with “Feel Invincible” from their 2016 release Unleashed. There was an introductory swell of music that had the crowd yelling as the players came on stage. Then John Cooper’s gruff voice boomed out over the crowd: “I feel, I feel it: invincible!” The band was full of energy, jumping and dancing around with their guitars. I wish I had that much energy, ha. And I don’t know how Jen can sing so beautifully while pounding away on the drums with all her strength at the same time!
There was amazing cellist, Tate Olsen, on tour with them. She came on stage under a single spotlight, signaling the beginning of “Awake and Alive.” They had a movie screen in the background, which showed colorful animated graphics, as well as an anime-like movie for that song. They had hydraulic platforms that raised and lowered the guitarists, which made it easier to see them when they were up high.
John Cooper’s voice wasn’t the best that night, he sounded pretty hoarse even from the beginning. But he’s a great showman who really knows how to involve the audience, making it an enjoyable interactive experience. He kept up a regular banter with the fans, aka “panheads.” It’s funny how he kept advertising his band, yelling at the top of his lungs “We are Skillet!” – as if we didn’t know, LOL.
About halfway through the concert, John gave a brief speech about America being the greatest country in the world and music bringing people together, regardless of their background or political views. And then on the lead-up to “Hero,” he gave a shout-out to Jesus Christ, which was cool to hear at a rock concert. I also love how he transitioned from the classic hymn “Be Thou My Vision” to “Comatose.”
The night went by in a blur, and I’m not sure of the song order because I can’t quite remember. But they played “Rise,” “Rebirth,” “Back From the Dead,” and “Whispers in the Dark,” which was my very first favorite song of theirs. Jen got to do the quintessential drum solo, and Seth had a guitar solo. Toward the end they played “Psycho in My Head” and “Monster.” That’s a great Halloween-themed song, and it came complete with jack-o-lantern graphics on the screen. By the way, “Monster” is one of Billboard’s Top Halloween Songs right up there with “Thriller” and “Ghostbusters”!
I was excited that they also played “Unpopular,” a new song from their Revolution album to be released November 1st, 2024! I loved their energetic performances, as well as the elaborate stage show including colorful strobe lights and smoke machines. The evening ended on “Resistance,” with plenty of firework style pyro canons. (I think they should put out an epilepsy warning, though, for anyone who’s photosensitive to flashing lights!)
Conclusion
Even though I’m a Christian, I never really cared for Contemporary Christian music. The easy listening pop songs are often too shallow and superficial, the singers fakely sweet and saccharine, and almost all they sing about is “God is good, Jesus is love.” Life is hard, sometimes it’s pretty darn depressing, it’s not a bed of roses just because you’re a believer.
Skillet hits the right spot, their songs are raw and authentic, they know what it’s like to be down in the depths, and yet their songs are able to put a positive spin on the darkest moments: “When the scars heal, the pain passes. As hope burns, we rise from the ashes. Darkness fades away and the light shines on a brave new day” (Rise).
Whether you’re listening to Skillet live or streaming a studio album, and no matter your religious views, their songs and lyrics will lift up your spirits, leaving you feeling elevated and energized, and ready to fight another day. See their complete list of albums for sale here. To find out when you can see Skillet in a city near you, visit Skillet.com.
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