Byrd's Eye View: AC/DC at Sommet Center

Byrd's Eye View: ACDC

From Metromix music writer Dave Paulson:

Nashville's Sommet Center has hosted every sort of spectacle lately — it's only been a week since the circus was in town, after all — but it isn't every day that a crowd packs the place to see a 53-year-old man strip down to his underwear.

The man in question, of course, was AC/DC guitarist Angus Young, who took an extended break during "The Jack" to show off his official AC/DC boxer shorts. That moment epitomized the mix of sleaze, machismo (and not least of all, branding) that made the band's Saturday night concert an ear-ringing, hedonistic blast — and quite possibly the best rock show the city will see this year

A sea of raised fists greeted the Australian rockers as they took the stage, opening with new tune "Rock 'n' Roll Train" as a life-sized locomotive prop chugged into view. The band was spirited from the outset, but it was clear they were pacing themselves, following up "Train" with lesser known '70s cut "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be." Young did his famously frantic duck-walk at a moderate pace, and only stood at the top of the catwalk that led halfway through the venue. As thrilling as it was to see the band in the flesh, it's likely that a number of fans were starting to adjust their expectations for the evening.

But if anything has the power to shatter such hangups, it's the iconic opening riff to "Back in Black," which the band wisely chose for their third song. Singer Brian Johnson strutted and stomped his way down the catwalk, giving high-fives to audience members able to stretch their arms over the barricades. By the time the set got to "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (which Johnson called "a special song for a special town"), AC/DC's increased energy was a pleasant surprise. But once Johnson was swinging from the rope of a giant bell to start up "Hells Bells," there was no telling how much more wild they were going to get.

As it turns out, there was much more to come, and that's mostly due to the staggering performance efforts of Young. Post-striptease, the guitarist transformed into a sweat-soaked rock cyclone, sprinting to every end of the stage, falling to his knees, and eventually writhing on his back on an elevated platform at the end of the catwalk. It's telling that when Young emerged for the band's encore, he had some brand new bandages across his abdomen. Following hand-in-hand with the band's increasingly animated stage presence was an increasingly over-the-top stage set. Songs were joined by a number of wonderfully ridiculous props — the train, the bell, a giant inflatable woman for "Whole Lotta Rosie," and last but not least, a flank of six cannons for "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You"), which fired off at appropriate points in the song.  Fans, in turn, saluted the band with devil horns — both with fingers and the official AC/DC light-up devil horn headbands ($15 apiece, in case you were wondering). Back in the middle of the set, when the crowd responded with rapturous cheers at the end of "TNT," Johnson had two words for them: "You're welcome." Call it cocky, but it's exactly what his audience wanted. There was no doubt that AC/DC were going to dutifully deliver a trademark mix of raunch and riffs. Being able to do it with every ounce of their classic firepower, on the other hand, is an awesome feat — and one that deserves to be saluted right back.

PICTURED: Brian Johnson and Angus Young