Chevelle, Asking Alexandria & Dead Poet Society – Stage AE – Pittsburgh (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)
- PopEntertainment
- Aug 22
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 25
Chevelle, Asking Alexandria & Dead Poet Society – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA – August 21, 2025
Three Generations of Angst Collide in the Steel City: Chevelle, Asking Alexandria, and Dead Poet Society
Stage AE sits on something of hallowed ground on the North Shore of Pittsburgh. Much of it is literally where Three Rivers Stadium used to sit and is nestled between the shadows of Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park. As those two iconic structures epitomize their respective sports, Stage AE is established for presenting some of the most iconic tours. A unique venue, as it features both an indoor stage and an outdoor amphitheater, it was a little surprising that the show on August 21, 2025, was held inside the venue.
This wasn't just any run-of-the-mill summer package tour. When Chevelle announced their massive 38-city North American trek with Asking Alexandria and Dead Poet Society back in March, it signaled an evening that showcased the evolution of heavy alternative music and how it has adapted and survived over the past 25 years.
Dead Poet Society took the stage at exactly 7 PM, with the kind of drive that can only come from a band still proving themselves to the world. Realizing that most of the members were barely old enough to remember Chevelle's initial breakthrough, they commanded the stage. The band's setlist was heavily weighted toward material from their more recent releases, mixed into the crowd quickly, as the headbanging began.
What struck me most about Dead Poet Society's performance wasn't just their technical proficiency. Starting with “.intoodeep” and “Running in Circles” they set the pace to not give in to the often-used mindset of faster/louder for openers. By the time their 30-minute set concluded, Dead Poet Society had won over a crowd that hadn't come specifically to see them. The applause that followed their final song was genuine appreciation for a band that had earned its place on this stage.
If Dead Poet Society represented the future, Asking Alexandria's entrance at 7:50 PM was a reminder that the recent past still had plenty to say. Now fifteen years into their career, they took the stage amid a wall of strobing lights and crushing volume that immediately reminded everyone present why they'd become one of the genre's most enduring acts.
Opening with “Things Could Be Different” from their latest album, they established this wasn't going to be a nostalgia trip. The driving rhythm had the crowd locking in despite the song being newer. What followed was a brilliantly constructed 45-minute set that balanced newer and older material with the songs that made Asking Alexandria household names in the metal scene. “Dark Void” and “Down to Hell” highlighted the heavier side of their sound, but it was during “Into the Fire” that they truly hit their stride. The song's qualities transformed the entire venue into a single, unified voice, with thousands of fans screaming the lyrics back at the stage.
The band's stage presence remained as compelling as ever. There was a looseness and swagger to the performance that spoke to a band comfortable in their own skin, no longer feeling the need to prove their heavy credentials with every note.
“Where Did It Go?” was the set's emotional centerpiece, with an emotional delivery of the lyrics creating a moment of genuine intimacy. The crowd's response, thousands of voices joining together in the chorus, was one of the evening's best moments.
The nostalgic portion of the set began with “Alone in a Room,” a song that perfectly bridges their older material with their more recent. By the time they launched into “Someone, Somewhere,” the entire venue had a collective therapy moment in session, with each person reflecting in their own way.
“Moving On” was a musical highlight and could be the band’s own statement toward the future. The song's themes of growth and change felt relevant as the band is about to enter their third decade of existence. They certainly have settled in as a force to be reckoned with and still are.
The set's finale, “The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel),” was the song that arguably put Asking Alexandria on the map over a decade ago. The crowd's reaction was immediate, with a sea of bodies moving as one, creating the kind of pure rock and roll moment that somewhat justifies every ticket price and every hour spent in traffic to get to the venue.
What impressed me most about Asking Alexandria's performance was how effortlessly they balanced their newer and older material. Rather than feeling like a band trying to reinvent themselves, they presented themselves as artists who had successfully integrated their various influences into something special.
After a brief changeover, Chevelle took the stage at 9:00 PM to a deafening roar. The trio, now in their fourth decade, strode onto the stage with the confidence that comes from being genuine survivors of the music industry's quirks.
With a decent opening video on the screens as a prelude to Chevelle taking the stage, they arrived with “Family System” from their 2021 album Niratias. Chevelle immediately established that this wasn't going to be a simple greatest hits parade. “Self Destructor” followed, its driving intensity spawning crowd surfers, adding to the mix.
The deep cut, “Rabbit Hole – Cowards, Pt. 1,” challenged the newer fans in the audience a little, while “An Island” was the bounce back singalong moment of their set. When they launched into “Joyride (Omen),” the energy went up a notch. Still, it was the newer material that truly impressed. Songs from their most recent album Niratias sounded massive, and the visual presentation was appropriately dramatic without being overbearing.
The middle section of the set found Chevelle hitting their commercial stride with “Face to the Floor” and “Pale Horse,” both songs that demonstrated why they've remained relevant across multiple decades. “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)” provided one of the evening's most choir-like moments, with thousands of voices joining Pete's in the anthemic chorus.
“Hats Off to the Bull” kept the energy at fever pitch before the band dove into the darker territory of “Jim Jones (Cowards, Pt. 2).” The crowd's response to “The Clincher” was immediate, as the song has been embedded in the DNA of the genre.
However, it was the opening notes of “Send the Pain Below,” the song that put Chevelle on the map, sounded as powerful as it did 20 years ago, and was the peak of their set. In going the other way once again, “Prove to You” displayed their more recent music, while “The Red” brought the main set to a close.
For the encore, Chevelle returned with “Comfortable Liar,” “I Get It,” and “Mars Simula” with a closing cosmic note, with the outro being the perfect end to an evening of intensity.
What made this particular evening special wasn't just the quality of the individual performances, though each band delivered exactly what was expected and more. It was the way the three acts complemented each other, creating a story of the genre over the past 25 years or so.
As the crowd filed out of Stage AE into the humid Pittsburgh night, there was a collective feeling of satisfaction. This wasn’t a headliner with two opening acts tour, but more a tour de force of heavy music's past, present, and future, presented by bands at different stages of their careers but united by their commitment to creating powerful, meaningful music. In a world that often seems designed to divide us, that's no small thing.
SETLISTS
Dead Poet Society: .intoodeep / Running in Circles / .SALT. / Lo Air / .CODA. / I Hope You Hate Me. / HURT
Asking Alexandria: Things Could Be Different / Dark Void / Down to Hell / Into the Fire / Where Did It Go? / Alone in a Room / Someone, Somewhere / Moving On / The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel)
Chevelle: Family System / Self Destructor / Rabbit Hole – Cowards, Pt. 1 / An Island / Joyride (Omen) / Face to the Floor / Pale Horse / Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) / Hats Off to the Bull / Jim Jones (Cowards, Pt. 2) / The Clincher / Send the Pain Below / Prove to You / The Red / Comfortable Liar / I Get It / Mars Simula
Dave Parsons
Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: August 23, 2025.
Photos by Dave Parsons © 2025. All rights reserved.
