10 Years of Mister Asylum - Highly Suspect at House of Blues

Article & Photos by Madison Cozzens

Highly Suspect’s debut album, Mister Asylum, charted Number 7 on the Top Rock Albums when it came out in 2015. The album is a favorite among fans, and brought something new to the table when it broke onto the scene. With their very first release to the public, Highly Suspect got nominated for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song at the Grammy’s that year. It’s no wonder the group wanted to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the album with a tour to share with their fans.

The band Flight Attendant started the evening off with a bang. The group is originally from Nashville, and has a stage presence that matches the headliners. Their unique blend of strings, synth, pop, and rock, makes for a listening experience you won’t find anywhere else. The frontwoman, Karalyne Winegarner commands your attention with every song. She gets personal with the audience without leaving the stage. You can sense the fun and passion the group brings to their performance, creating new fans by the minute and adding to their “Cabin Crew”.

Highly Suspect took the stage at The House of Blues at 9pm to a crowd ready to rock and roll. The group provides a true rock show that is not for the weak, with guitar solos, crowd surfing, and mosh pits. That being said the crowd was full of all ages, many older rock fans but some young kids as well, getting to experience their first rock show. One of the kids even got to crowd surf, being lifted up by the strangers around him to a memory he won’t forget. At the beginning of the show lead singer, Johnny Stevens, took the time to set up the most pit in the GA crowd, to encourage people to get messy and have fun. Fans were shoving, jumping, and dancing the rest of the night.

Highly Suspect had a brief intermission during the show, playing songs off Mister Asylum the first half and other hits the second. “Lydia”, one of their most popular songs off the debut album, got the crowd hyped up and singing along. The group also played “My Name is Human” towards the end of the show, which is currently their number one song on Spotify. The incorporation of screams, guitar solos, and percussion take you to a raw and real place where you can’t help but feel it deep within yourself. Stevens’ has a very laid-back presence on stage, but that doesn’t stop him from creating something special.

The group consists of Johnny Stevens (guitar and lead vocals) twin brothers, Rich (bass and backing vocals) and Ryan Meyer (drums and backing vocals), Matt Kofos (guitar, synthesizer, percussion, and backing vocals) and Mark Schwartz (guitar, synthesizers, keyboards, backing vocals). They started by playing covers in bars and grew into one of the more well known modern rock bands today. Highly Suspect is one of those groups that doesn’t confine themselves to one sound. Each of their releases provides something different, incorporating hard rock, electronic, hip-hop, grunge, and blues into their music. Their most recent release “As Above So Below” came out in the summer of 2024 and utilizes many of those different aspects within its songs.

While this tour is not very long, only running during December, it is still a love letter to fans who have stuck with them since the beginning. Playing the Mister Asylum album along with more of their hits and fan favorite songs to get the vibes just right. According to fan forums and discussions online, we may be expecting new music next year. We will be sat and waiting patiently for whatever Highly Suspect cooks up next.