Live Review: Black Stone Cherry - Frankfurt 2026

Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
22nd September 2026
Black Stone Cherry - “The Celebrate Tour 2026” - Special Guest: 10 Years

It was already obvious at the doors that there was a lot of interest in this evening. I arrived at Batschkapp right on time for doors open and was immediately greeted by a long queue of fans waiting to get inside. Although the Batschkapp website initially stated that tickets would still be available at the box office, it did not take long until the show was officially sold out.

With the venue packed and the audience already in a great mood before the first notes were played, everything was set for an evening full of Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge and Southern Rock.


10 Years

10 YEARS are an American Alternative Metal / Post-Grunge band from Knoxville, Tennessee, formed in 1999. Over the years, the band has developed its distinctive sound by combining heavy guitar-driven passages with atmospheric elements, melodic vocals and an emotional intensity that has remained a characteristic part of their music. They gained wider international recognition with their 2005 album ‘The Autumn Effect’ and particularly the successful single ‘Wasteland’. Since then, 10 YEARS have built a loyal fan base through numerous releases and extensive touring.



Their latest album, ‘Inner Darkness’, was released in 2024, following ‘Deconstructed’ from 2022 and ‘Violent Allies’ from 2020. ‘Inner Darkness’ continues the band’s characteristic combination of heaviness, melody and introspective atmosphere, showing that more than two decades into their career, 10 YEARS are still developing their sound without losing the musical identity that has defined them for so long. https://www.10yearsmusic.com / https://www.facebook.com/10yearsmusic



Music & Performance
10 YEARS opened the evening, and I have to admit that the band impressed me even more live than on record. From the very first songs, their performance felt powerful and focused, and there was never a moment when they seemed like a band simply going through the motions of an opening set. Their music gained considerably more intensity in the live setting. The combination of atmospheric passages, strong melodies and heavier moments worked extremely well and made the relatively short set feel varied. Most importantly, 10 YEARS quickly managed to catch the attention of an audience that had obviously come primarily to see BLACK STONE CHERRY.



And the crowd was more than willing to follow them. The reactions became stronger with every song, and as the set progressed, it became obvious that 10 YEARS were not being treated as just another special guest. What impressed me particularly was what happened after their performance. I saw quite a few people buying 10 YEARS merchandise and others enthusiastically discussing the show they had just witnessed. It really felt as if the band had significantly expanded their fan base that evening - probably one of the biggest compliments you can give to a support act.



It was a very strong start to the evening and, for me personally, another example of a band whose music unfolds an entirely different level of energy on stage.

Setlist
01. Novacaine
02. Fix me
03. Gravity
04. Heart Shaped
05. Shoot it out
06. Wasteland
07. The Optimist

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Black Stone Cherry

BLACK STONE CHERRY are an American Southern Rock / Hard Rock band from Edmonton, Kentucky, formed in 2001. Rooted deeply in the musical traditions of their home state, the band combines powerful Hard Rock riffs with Southern Rock, Blues and a strong sense of melody. Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 2006, BLACK STONE CHERRY have established themselves as a powerful live act and built a dedicated international following. Their music ranges from heavy, energetic Rock songs to emotional ballads, while their Southern roots remain an unmistakable part of their identity.



In March 2026, BLACK STONE CHERRY released ‘Celebrate’, the seven-track EP that also gives the current ‘The Celebrate Tour’ its name. The release follows their eighth studio album, ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’, from 2023 and represents another chapter in the band’s more than two-decade-long career. ‘Celebrate’ was self-produced by the band and recorded at High Street Studios in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Musically and emotionally, ‘Celebrate’ is a release built around contrasts. Its six original songs move between powerful Hard Rock, Southern influences, Grunge elements and much more vulnerable moments.



The title track ‘Celebrate’ captures the central idea particularly well: sometimes it is the small victories that deserve to be celebrated, even if that victory is simply making it through another difficult day. At the other end of the emotional spectrum, ‘Deep’ is one of the EP’s most personal songs, turning guitarist Ben Wells’ experience of loss into an intensely emotional piece of music. ‘Neon Eyes’, meanwhile, represents the much more energetic side of the release with a riff that originally developed during a soundcheck.



The EP closes with BLACK STONE CHERRY’s interpretation of SIMPLE MINDS’ classic ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’, featuring Tyler Connolly of THEORY OF A DEADMAN. Altogether, ‘Celebrate’ feels less like a collection of songs built around one particular mood and more like a snapshot of different experiences the musicians have lived through since ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’. That makes ‘The Celebrate Tour’ more than simply a name attached to another tour. The current release has a real presence in the live show as well, with several songs from ‘Celebrate’ finding their place among material from different periods of the band’s career. https://blackstonecherry.vista.page / https://www.facebook.com/blackstonecherry



Music & Performance
After such a strong opening set, it was finally time for BLACK STONE CHERRY - and the band needed practically no warm-up. Starting with ‘Me and Mary Jane’, they immediately brought an enormous amount of energy to the stage, and that energy barely dropped throughout the entire evening. There was constant movement on stage. The musicians used every bit of available space, repeatedly interacted with the crowd and delivered exactly that combination of musical precision and pure joy of performing that can make a good Rock show a great one.



Nothing felt routine or simply rehearsed. Even after so many years on the road, BLACK STONE CHERRY gave the impression that they were genuinely enjoying both the show and the reaction they were getting from the Frankfurt audience. And the audience responded accordingly. People sang along, clapped, jumped and celebrated throughout the show. Especially during well-known songs such as ‘White Trash Millionaire’, ‘Blame It on the Boom Boom’ and, of course, ‘Lonely Train’, the already heated atmosphere inside Batschkapp turned into one huge Rock party.



The setlist offered a great mixture of different periods of the band’s career. Heavy and powerful tracks were balanced by more melodic and emotional moments, keeping the show varied despite its length. ‘Things My Father Said’ in particular created a noticeable change of atmosphere and showed a much more emotional side of the band before the energy level increased again. Naturally, ‘Celebrate’ also played an important role in a tour carrying its name. Three songs from the current EP found their way into the set: ‘Deep’, ‘Celebrate’ and ‘Neon Eyes’. Hearing the new material surrounded by established BLACK STONE CHERRY favourites also demonstrated how naturally these songs already fit into the band’s live repertoire.



There was, however, one song from ‘Celebrate’ that I was really sad not to hear that evening: ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’. BLACK STONE CHERRY’s version of the SIMPLE MINDS classic, featuring Tyler Connolly of THEORY OF A DEADMAN, was one of the songs I had personally hoped to hear live. The original is, of course, forever connected to the iconic final scene of ‘The Breakfast Club’, which gives the song an additional nostalgic charm. Unfortunately, it did not make it onto the Frankfurt setlist - probably my biggest personal disappointment of an otherwise excellent show.



The extended performance of ‘Cheaper to Drink Alone’, including the drum solo, also fitted perfectly into a show that was about much more than simply playing as many songs as possible. BLACK STONE CHERRY gave individual moments enough room to breathe while never losing their connection with the audience. Musically, there was hardly anything to complain about. The sound was powerful but still clear enough to prevent the individual instruments from disappearing into one massive wall of noise. The lighting complemented the energetic performance well, especially during the heavier parts of the show.



After ‘Lonely Train’, the evening was of course not quite over yet. BLACK STONE CHERRY returned for one final song, ‘Peace Is Free’, providing a fitting conclusion to a concert that had been driven from beginning to end by the enormous energy exchanged between the band and their audience. BLACK STONE CHERRY delivered a great Rock show in Frankfurt: loud, energetic, emotional and full of movement, with an audience that was ready to celebrate every single song.



Together with the surprisingly strong performance by 10 YEARS, it was one of those evenings where not only the headliner, but the entire package simply worked.

Setlist
01. Me and Mary Jane
02. Burnin’
03. Again
04. Fire
05. Hell and High Water
06. Like I Roll
07. Stay
08. Deep
09. Celebrate
10. Things My Father Said
11. Cheaper to Drink Alone / Drum Solo
12. Drum Solo
13. Cheaper to Drink Alone (part two)
14. Neon Eyes
15. In My Blood
16. White Trash Millionaire
17. Blame It on the Boom Boom
18. Lonely Train
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19. Peace Is Free

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All Pictures by Daria Tessa