Stryper concert at Ηouse of Вlues - Old Location in Anaheim, US
Sat, 12 Sep 2015

The last time I saw Stryper was in 1992 at Anaheim Celebrity Theater with Guardian. And, it was absolutely amazing, uplifting, and simply awesome. I really enjoyed this recent HOB Anaheim show too. The band was absolutely great, energetic, and played their hearts out. I not only felt the music, but I also felt God speaking to me through their music. I never attend concerts anymore, because of all the crowds and heat and the damage to my hearing (lol). But, for Stryper I am so happy that I forced myself to go... lol

That said, the show did have a few minor issues. First, the sound quality got progressively worse as the show went on. There was too much rumble in the bass, and sound got muddy and muddier as the night went on. This became evident as even the band started making minor mistakes and started getting a bit off pitch (vocals, guitar solos). Having performed and played clubs myself back in the day, I know this is not the band's fault, as they probably were having trouble hearing each other on stage. In comparison, Gabbie Rae's audio mix was crystal clear, clean, and sounded phenomenal. I don't know how the headliner's sound could end up actually worse.

Secondly, I wished that Stryper performed some more songs from all their albums. I've been a fan a long time and have all their CD's. But, I felt this show was 60% Yellow/Soldiers/Devil/God and 40% everything else. I was floored when they played Revelation from NMHTP. Other songs I wanted to hear but they didn't perform were, "Lady, 2 Bodies One Mind One Soul, Caught in the Middle, Shining Star, Can't Stop the Rock, Believe, Passion, Murder By Pride, Love is Why, Saved By Love, Big Screen Lies, and Fallen." But, they spent some time on a new song off Fallen that the HOB sound didn't resonate. So, I don't even remember too much of it- other it being heavy and dark. I know it's difficult coming up with a set list to please everyone. So, this is really just my own knit picking.

Thirdly, I didn't really like the layout of the HOB Anaheim club. The ground floor was simply too hot to stand in for more than 15 minutes. Upstairs was better, but it was impossible to see Michael or Oz from the stage. The VIP areas took up the entire left side and the added VIP section made it impossible to see. It was frustrating to drive all the way down from Pasadena, and then only having to watch them on the TV screens.

Still, I am looking forward to their new album next month, and I will definitely see them again.