The Keswick Theatre was absolutely packed last night as Sevendust brought their Southside Double-Wide Acoustic Tour to Glenside, and the energy in the room hit long before the band ever stepped onstage. You don’t always expect an acoustic show to feel electric, but Sevendust proved—again—that they can flip their entire catalog inside out and still make it hit like a blow to the chest.
Before the main event, Cory Marks warmed up the crowd with a gritty, heart-on-sleeve set that blended outlaw swagger with rock’s heavier edge. His voice carried beautifully in the Keswick’s acoustics, and by the time he wrapped, the room was more than ready.
Then the lights dropped, and Sevendust walked out to a roar that felt like a homecoming. They opened with “Black,” stripping it down without losing any of the raw emotion that makes the song immortal. From there, it was a full dive into deep cuts and fan favorites: “Disgrace,” “Beautiful,” “Skeleton Song,” “Trust,” “Denial,” and “Follow” all translated shockingly well in an acoustic setting. The band leaned into the vulnerability, giving each track a warmth and weight that hit differently than the full-volume versions.
“Xmas Day” was a standout—haunting, soaring, and delivered with the kind of precision only a band 20+ years deep can pull off. The crowd held onto every note. When the band eased into their take on Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” the entire room shifted. Clint stepped forward and let his voice rise above everything — powerful, clear, and almost fragile at the same time — and suddenly the audience wasn’t just listening anymore. They lifted the moment with him, matching his lines, filling the Keswick with one unified voice. It was less a cover and more a shared release, the kind of moment that only happens when a band and a crowd fall perfectly in sync.
At one point, LJ looked out over the theatre and shared how much he wished he could take a crowd like this with him to every stop on the tour. And honestly, after seeing the energy in that room, it was easy to understand why. The audience was fully locked in—loud, engaged, and connected in a way that felt genuinely special.
For me personally, this show carried extra meaning. I regretted missing Sevendust’s acoustic An Evening With Sevendust tour back in 2014 when it hit the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA — a show fans still talk about. So this time, catching the Keswick performance wasn’t optional. It was a must-see. And it absolutely delivered.
They kept the surprises coming with “Angel’s Son,” “Rumble Fish” (complete with a nod to Pantera’s “Walk”), “Bitch,” and “Too Close to Hate.” Every song felt reinvented, yet unmistakably Sevendust.
Then came the encore: “Face to Face.”
An acoustic version of that song should not work on paper. It’s aggressive, punchy, built for a full band attack. But somehow—somehow—they made it not only work, but explode. The crowd carried the chorus with such force that it became one of those goosebump moments you don’t forget. It was raw, powerful, and the perfect exclamation point on a night that felt more like a celebration of what this band is capable of.
Sevendust proved once again that intensity isn’t tied to volume—it’s tied to heart. And at the Keswick, they gave every last bit of it.
Sevendust Tour
Photos: T. Cody Strubel / Rock Documented – Keswick Theatre
