When the 2012 Carnival of Madness tour rolled into Boston, it seemed only fitting that the show would take shape under the tent of the Bank of America Pavilion on Boston’s waterfront. While the cotton candy and clowns were nowhere to be found, the spirit of rock was ever-present.

Now in its third year, the Carnival of Madness tour packages some of rock’s most hottest acts, throws in a little new blood, and mixes it up with road warriors and rock vets to complete a well-rounded bill. This year’s lineup allowed a few female fronted acts to flex their muscles and remind the world that girls rock, too, with Halestorm and Evanescence featuring singers Lzzy Hale and Amy Lee, respectively.

Cavo opened the show, followed by Halestorm and Chevelle with Evanescence closing out the evening. New Medicine was forced to drop off of a few dates due to medical issues, but with any luck will return to the tour soon.

While Cavo had the unfortunate job of taking to the stage bright and early as fans were still filing in and the sun still blazed, they delivered a high-energy set and made the most of their opportunity. Playing for forty minutes the band powered through a set showcasing songs from their latest disc ‘Thick as Thieves’ as well as their hit tune ‘Champagne’ from their last release.

Following Cavo and delivering one of the most impressive sets of the night was Halestorm. The band has turned into a non-stop touring machine since the release of their latest disc ‘The Strange Case Of…’ earlier this year and continue to evolve with each and every show. True students of the genre, Halestorm have been soaking up everything they can from touring with bands like Shinedown and Godsmack and infusing it into their own show resulting in a flawless, down and dirty performance. Lzzy’s vocal chops never seem to waver wailing out like a seasoned siren and the rest of the band rallies around her delivering tune after raucous tune of rock ‘n’ roll hits. From blazing new songs like ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ and the anthemic ‘Rock Show’ to breakthrough hits like ‘I Get Off,’ Lzzy and co. had a firm grasp on the audience from start to finish.

In case there was any mistake about the name of Chevelle’s latest disc, ‘Hats Off to the Bull,’ released at the tail end of 2011, the band rolled out a life size bull onto the stage to serve as a backdrop to their set. Truly a family affair with brothers Pete Loeffler on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Sam Loeffler on drums and Pete and Sam’s brother-in-law Dean Bernardini on bass, it’s obvious that Chevelle have found their groove and settled in to make themselves comfortable. With a precise delivery their sound was sharp and methodical while their arsenal of tunes their bride the gap between modern rock and the nostalgic post-grunge sounds of the ‘90s.

The culmination of the evening was when the ringleader for the evening Amy Lee and her band Evanescence made their way to the stage and ended the music marathon of a night. Sporting a black lace skirt and black and fluorescent green leggings, Lee opened her mouth and time seemed to stop as she sang for close to an hour and a half delivering a collection of the band's greatest hits. Lee showed off her versatility transitioning with ease from full-out hair whipping rockers to stripped down more emotional songs showcasing only Lee and her piano. If it’s possible for one’s vocals to get better with age, that would apply. Lee’s vocals sounded better than ever and the all-star band that supports her every note couldn’t have done a better job.

If you’re looking for great rock ‘n’ roll value this summer, it’s hard to beat the Carnival of Madness tour. Check out all of the remaining tour dates here.

View Exclusive Photos from the Boston Carnival of Madness Tour Stop

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