PHOTOS: Aaron Lewis at the Nutty Brown Amphitheater

Aaron Lewis
Nutty Brown Amphitheater
June 1, 2018
Photography by Michael Mullenix

Nearly 20 years ago, the band Staind became a household name in the Alternative Metal and Hard Rock circles after their sophomore album Dysfunction and a spontaneous, live-duet with Fred Durst of their song Outside.  Singer Aaron  Lewis calls it “a lifetime ago,” while he performs onstage this past Friday, June 1^st, at the Nutty Brown Amphitheatre in Dripping Springs.  Since the late-2000’s and the band has been on a quasi-hiatus, and Aaron has explored a thriving solo-career as a Country Artist.  Kid you not.  At the Nutty Brown the house-lights remained on as Aaron took the stage with the band softly playing in the background and instructed all the men in the audience to remove their hats for the Pledge Of Allegiance.  Not a song title, the actual Pledge.  After he finished reciting it, he launched into the defining single from him debut solo album, Country Boy.  Lewis’ set is packed with songs from his two Country records such as Sinner and The Road, as well as covers on Staind songs that have been arranged to have a more country feel.  As odd as it sounds, it speaks to the sometimes over-looked composure of songs like Right Here, Tangled Up In You, and especially It’s Been A While that they sound perfectly at home on Electric Guitar as well as Slide-Guitar.  Nearing the end the band went offstage and only Aaron returned to sing solo-acoustic medleys in the form of Love Me and Gods & Guns.  After getting distracted by a fight in the audience in which he tried to mediate, Lewis finally closed the night on Outside, the humble little song that made him a household name “A Lifetime Ago.”

AARON LEWIS PHOTO GALLERY

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Michael Mullenix

Growing up around the world, Michael developed a taste and appreciation for all styles of music. While studying film making at Boston University, he dove headfirst into a mosh-pit and never came out. It was in Boston that he combined his love of film and photography with his drive and passion for being a chronicler of the underground music scene. After graduation he headed to Los Angeles and for over a decade has worked with some of the top musicians and actors in the entertainment industry. Lured to Austin by the cultural explosion in the music and film scenes taking place there, he relocated two years ago and describes Austin as a cultural Shang Ri La!