Alice in Chains are in the midst of their 2023 North American tour (with special guest Royal Thunder), and while every show has surely been amazing, their stop at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, Calif. on Oct.5 was definitely a highlight. Why? Because it saw current Pantera touring guitarist Zakk Wylde joining them for a special performance of “Would?
Every stop on the tour thus far as placed the seminal Dirt track near the end of Alice in Chains’ concert. Per setlist.fm, this one put it at the end of the group’s initial set (before encores “No Excuses,” “It Ain’t Like That” and “Rooster”). They even teased a bit of Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears” along the way.
In the footage below, you can hear vocalist William DuVall rejoicing as Wylde walks on stage with DuVall’s Les Paul. Afterward, the singer asks the crowd, “You ready to help us sing?” From there, they launch into a killer rendition of “Would?” that eventually gives Wylde the spotlight for one of his signature virtuosic solos. It’s totally epic!
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Unsurprisingly, both artists posted about the collaboration on social media afterward.
Specifically, Alice in Chains posted to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday (Oct. 7): “It’s always a pleasure to jam with old friends. Thank you @ZakkWyldeBLS for tearing it up with us on “Would?” at @Yaamava the other night.”
The prior day (Oct. 6), DuVall clarified: “Yes, that IS the great @ZakkWyldeBLS rockin’ out directly to my right. And, yes, he IS playing one of my Les Pauls. Fun show last night. Thanks to Zakk and everyone who showed up. Great day at the office. Highland, CA. Yaamava Theater. Oct. 5, 2023. #aliceinchains #tour2023.”
As for Wylde, he shared footage on Instagram and Facebook, commenting: “MUCH BL MCLOVE & THANKS To FATHERS JERRY,MIKEY,SEAN,WILLIAM & The ALICE DOOM CREW For letting me ROLL w/THEM!!! THE IMMORTAL BELOVED & I Had an AMAZING NIGHT Watching you Guys CRUSH IT as ALWAYS!!!”
Naturally, just about everyone in attendance (and/or watching online afterward) loved it, too.
In addition to continuing their own headlining tour, Alice in Chains will be special guests at Guns N’ Roses’ shows this Wednesday (Oct. 11) in Phoenix, Ariz. and next Monday (Oct. 16) in Vancouver, British Columbia. As for Wylde, he and the rest of Pantera have a couple of North American shows happening in November. Then, they’ll be back starting next August.
Check out Pantera’s upcoming tour dates here and grab tickets here. Likewise, you can view all of Alice in Chains’ upcoming shows here and purchase tickets here. Lastly, be sure to check out various clips of the “Would?” performance below and let us know what you think!
Zakk Wylde Joins Alice in Chains for “Would?” in Highland, Calif. (Oct. 5, 2023)
See Photos of Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley Through the Years
Photos of the Alice In Chains legend.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
