Banger of the Week: Amber Wild – Breakout

b.liebman

Nov 16

On Nov 3rd, I made the excellent decision to catch KISS' final California show (ever?) at the Hollywood Bowl. I went in with the full knowledge that the legendary band would be putting on a classic, hugely entertaining show. I wasn't expecting there to be an opener, nor if there was one, that they would be...gasp...good. Much less really good.

So when Amber Wild hit the stage and opened their set with "Breakout", it wasn't long before I was head banging along to the riff-heavy hard rock tune. I knew nothing about the group, but it became clear throughout their set, which also included yet-unreleased songs like "Constant Constellations" and "Lover", that these guys had songwriting chops and pretty great stage presence for a group that had only dropped their first two singles a few weeks prior.

Then front man Evan Stanley, in between sharing the band's awe in playing at the Bowl and promoting their coming headlining show at the Echo on December 6th, dropped the word "dad" when thanking KISS for having them. Turns out, he's Paul Stanley's son. Well, you can save the nepo-baby comments - his dad may have gotten them an opening slot, but they owned the stage like pros and showcased sleek musicianship and a sound built for stadiums.

While their other released song "Silver" is solid, "Breakout" is a true banger to hear. Check it out in our Bangers of the Week Playlist, and see the band headline in Los Angeles on December 6th at the Echo!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ICT6Czf11S3eXRvb1jK5l?si=2deb60ef6bbc4abe