Live: Black Stone Cherry in Indianapolis

When Black Stone Cherry announced they were coming to Indy with special guest Ayron Jones, fans didn’t wait to buy tickets and then packed out the Hi-Fi Annex, ready to rock out.

Jones and company opened the show with one of the most energetic sets the Annex had seen in a long time, with the band all over the stage. Jones played guitar with drum sticks at times, his guitarist and bass player trading spots on the stage and taking turns commanding the crowd.

Playing for almost an hour with every radio hit finding their way into the setlist, Jones made sure the Indianapolis crowd left fans, putting the final stamp on things with himself and the rest of the band finding their way into the crowd afterward to take pictures, sign autographs and let fans hold their guitars and taking every opportunity to engage with them.

After a quick stage changeover, Black Stone Cherry took the stage for a set that made everyone happy. They kicked it off with “Me and Mary Jane” and completely tore the house down in every way possible. While singer Chris Robertson’s raspy vocals sounded better than ever, guitarist Ben Wells spent the show running and jumping around the stage like a kid in a candy store.

The band fit every hit into their set including their two latest singles- “Again” and their cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason,” which they refused to start until the crowd was deafening, which didn’t take long.

With this show taking place on a Friday night, it was everything you could possibly want from a rock show in 2022. The band was firing on all cylinders and made sure the fans who were seeing their first concert post-covid got a show that was worth the wait.

-Reggie Edwards