Ghost have hit the road for a summer US tour, bringing fellow Swedes Amon Amarth along for the ride. The “Re-Imperator” officially kicked off with a packed show Wednesday night (August 2nd) at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California.
Supporting their latest release, The Great Heathen Army, Amon Amarth got the ball rolling with a nine-song setlist that had the metalheads in the already full venue singing along. The band kicked off the set with “Raven’s Flight,” complete with a viking helmet drum riser, and two massive swordsman statues on either side of the stage. “Put Your Back into the Oar” was easily the crowd favorite of the set, as made obvious by the fans rowing along to the song. By the time the band wrapped up their brief set with “Twilight of the Thunder Guard,” the entire venue was primed for the headliners.
With “Imperium” blasting over the PA as the curtain dropped, Ghost hit the stage with “Kaisarion” from their latest album, IMPERA. Led by the one and only Papa Emeritus IV (aka Tobias Forge), the band tore through a 19-song setlist. Backed by his Nameless Ghouls, Papa provided showmanship throughout the set, and early highlights included “Rats” and “From the Pinnacle to the Pit.” From there, the band played “Absolution,” followed by “Ritual” and “Call Me Little Sunshine.”
Although the stained glass cathedral backdrop for the band’s set remained constant, Papa Emeritus did go through a number of costume changes. After closing their main set with “Respite on the Spitalfields,” Ghost returned to the stage for a three-song encore, wrapping-up the evening with the anthemic “Square Hammer.”
By the time it was all said and done, opening night of the “Re-Imperator” was a smashing spectacle, proving to be one of the must-see metal outings of the summer.
Pick up tickets to the “Re-Imperator” here, and see Heavy Consequence photographer Raymond Ahner’s pictures from the kickoff show in the gallery below.
Photo Gallery – Ghost and Amon Amarth at the Concord Pavilion on August 2nd, 2023 (click to expand and scroll through):
Ghost Setlist:
Kaisarion
Rats
Spillways
From the Pinnacle to the Pit
Cirice
Absolution
Ritual
Call Me Little Sunshine
Con Clavi Con Dio
Watcher in the Sky
Year Zero
He Is
Miasma
Mary on a Cross
Mummy Dust
Respite on the Spitalfields
Encore:
Kiss the Go-Goat
Dance Macabre
Square Hammer
Amon Amarth Setlist:
Raven’s Flight
Shield Wall
Deceiver of the Gods
Heidrun
Put Your Back Into the Oar
The Way of Vikings
Guardians of Asgaard
Raise Your Horns
Twilight of the Thunder God
Ghost’s Remaining 2023 Tour Dates with Amon Amarth:
08/04 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
08/05 – Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest
08/07 – West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
08/08 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
08/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/12 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
08/14 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
08/15 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
08/16 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
08/18 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
08/19 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
08/20 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
08/22 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
08/23 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
08/24 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
08/25 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
08/27 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
08/29 – Simpsonville, SC @ CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
08/30 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
08/31 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
09/02 – The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
09/03 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
09/05 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
09/07 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
09/08 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
09/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum ^
^ = no Amon Amarth