Share this article on your Facebook profile

Audio Adrenaline Live From Hawaii: The Farewell Concert 2007 Forefront/EMI 15 songs, 63:45 By Randy Brandt August 12, 2007

Audio Adrenaline called it quits after a successful decade and a half because lead singer/songwriter Mark Stuart's voice broke down. I was no fan of the band in the early hip hop-flavored days, but grew to enjoy them with the release of Bloom, and then became a major fan with Some Kind of Zombie and Underdog, enjoying the CDs and catching both tours live. Watching the Farewell Concert DVD was a bittersweet experience. The band stories were amusing, and the outdoor setting of the final show helped give it a "down home" feel. Still, it was sad to hear Stuart strain to get through some of the songs he had once belted out with his powerfully raspy voice. That said, he made a valiant effort to make the last show memorable, and all Audio A fans will enjoy watching the DVD and singing along to the live show on the CD.

As the DVD ended, I found myself choking up a little during "Goodbye," thinking about how tough it must be for a band to be forced into stopping even though they still get along and have had great success the past couple of years. Audio Adrenaline set a high standard for bands, putting on high-energy live shows and establishing an orphanage in Haiti with their Hands and Feet project. May other young bands be inspired to model their careers after the examples of Mark, Will, Ben and Tyler (and former members Bob and Barry).

Visit Audio Adrenaline.