By Dan Buchanan
Frontman Johnny Stevens is magnetic and hilariously funny. File pic Photo: AFP / Getty Images
I was born in 1982 so the music of my rebellious teenage years was the heyday of grunge. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam filled my CD player. This evolved through the late '90s and early 2000s with the raw power of the nu-metal scene from acts like Korn and Deftones.
But as the years passed, rock to me at least, seemed to lose its edge, with fewer bands able to truly capture my attention. For a long time, I've struggled to find modern acts that reignite that spark. Last night, Highly Suspect changed everything.
Highly Suspect at Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena Photo: Supplied / Antonia Pearl
Wolfbrook Arena was buzzing with anticipation as the Grammy-nominated act kicked off their three-stop New Zealand tour. The show felt like a reclamation of what makes rock music so exhilarating: carefree emotion, relentless energy, and the kind of onstage chemistry that can't be faked.
Formed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Highly Suspect rose from modest beginnings as a cover band to become a powerhouse in alternative rock. Their sound is an electrifying blend of grunge's grit, blues rock's soul, and hip-hop's sharp edge, drawing inevitable comparisons to Royal Blood and Queens of the Stone Age while maintaining their own identity. Live, they embody the rebellious heart of rock in a way that feels both nostalgic and thrillingly new.
Highly Suspect at Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena Photo: Supplied / Antonia Pearl Photography
From the moment the band launched into their first song 'Bath Salts', they gripped the crowd with an energy that's impossible to ignore. Frontman Johnny Stevens is magnetic, hilariously funny, inciting a circle, having the crowd chant "up the Wahs", his voice, cutting through the room with equal parts anguish and defiance. His performance intensely personal, he cut an emotionally difficult song off early segueing into Weezer's 'Say It Ain't So' to turn the mood around.
The setlist flowed seamlessly, showcasing their ability to shift between high-octane anthems and haunting, introspective moments. Songs like 'Claudelands', 'Lydia', and 'Mexico' show their range, with Rich Meyer's basslines and Ryan Meyer's drumming providing a thunderous backbone to the rest of the band's body parts. Every note intentional, every lyric delivered with conviction.
Highly Suspect at Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena Photo: Supplied / Antonia Pearl Photography
What elevates Highly Suspect above others is the obvious connection they have with each other, that they make the audience feel part of. Perhaps the staging helps, reminiscent of a Kiwi BBQ, string lights, trees, mismatched lamps, and couches providing a disarming familiarity. Or maybe they're just very good at what they do.
There's a raw authenticity in their performance that reminds me why I fell in love with rock music in the first place. It's not about perfection. It's about rebellion, bucking the trend, breaking the mould, going so far against the grain people start to dislike you. After all it's rock n roll, not rock a bye baby.
Highly Suspect gripped the crowd with an energy that's impossible to ignore, writes Dan Buchanan. Photo: Supplied / Antonia Pearl Photography
For anyone considering attending their Wellington or Auckland shows, don't wait. Highly Suspect proves that modern rock is alive and well, and their live performances lift their music to dizzying heights.
Christchurch has set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable tour. This is the band that will make you fall in love with rock all over again.
