Rock in the forecast: Heavy hitters Halestorm bringing the energy to Lubbock's Buddy Holly Hall

Despite the vibrant suits and ever-changing hair color, Arejay Hale is a simple man when it comes to coffee.

Boasting seemingly endless amounts of energy, Hale has picked up a thing or two from java thespian Corey Taylor, the leader singer of Slipknot and countless other side projects.

Touring as often has he does with Halestorm, the Grammy-winning four-piece rock/metal outfit that will hit the Helen Devitt Jones Theater stage at Buddy Holly Hall on Sunday, the drummer has figured out that Keruigs, while practical, can't keep up with him.

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"My girls makes nuclear coffee," Hale said of his girlfriend, Emily. "I am so ruined by the coffee. ... It's nothing special. We just make it in a regular old drip coffee pot like a Mr. Coffee, but we just make it really good and it's really the only thing that gets us going in the morning."

Whatever it is that gets Hale going to start the day, it often lasts throughout Halestorm's live performances, which Lubbock fans will get a taste of when the group is joined by The Warning and New Years Day for their fall tour stop in the Hub City.

Arejay is the younger brother of lead singer and guitarist Lzzy Hale. This year, the band is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Starting off playing bowling alley gigs, the band — which features fellow Pennsylvania natives Joe Hottinger (guitar) and Josh Smith (bass) — has found a devoted legion of fans anxious for whatever the group has next to offer.

Lzzy has become an icon of sorts. When Halestorm won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013 for their single "Love Bites (So Do I)," it marked the first time a female had won the award.

With the band's continued success, the Hales have seen more and more female-fronted groups emerge. Though Lzzy — who became the first female ambassador for Gibson guitars with her own signature line — isn't the first woman to lead a hard-rock band, the group's staying power has opened the door for others to join them.

Since Halestorm began touring again after the pandemic, the group has shared bills with other female-front groups almost exclusively. These efforts began when the group toured with In This Moment, New Years Day and Stitched Up Heart back in 2018. That has continued to include this tour.

"... It was a really great message and impactful movement," Hale said of the tour. "It was basically just showing the world that women can rock just as hard, if not harder than most of the guys out there. It just had a very cool, positive movement and moment where we started seeing the transition. We started seeing more and more women not only wanting to play and make rock music, but also wanting to go see rock bands.

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"And I think it's just natural human behavior for us to be inspired by people who remind us of ourselves. This type of tour can spread out and inspire more young girls and more women to actually want to not only. ... make heavy music but also to love and appreciate and want to come out and see a lineup of heavy bands, and that's great. I love seeing that. I love seeing more inclusivity and representation across the spectrum and I hope it doesn't just stop there."

Halestorm has toured with New Years Day in the past and this will mark the second straight tour that The Warning will be joining them. The three-piece band featuring the Villarreal sisters Daniela, Alejandra and Paulina have made waves since their early teens and grown in popularity worldwide, especially in their native Mexico.

The Villarreal sisters range in age from 17 to 22. Hale is the youngest member of Halestorm at 36, so he doesn't like to consider himself too old, but touring with The Warning has been a breath of fresh air to the veterans.

"I can't speak for them, but I guess I could definitely feel the excitement, the enthusiasm that they have and it reminds us a lot of the way that we were when we started," Hale said of The Warning, who will open for rock legends Guns N' Roses in their hometown of Monterey in October. "... I'm really excited to have them out again and I'm also really excited about all the success they're having because they're blowing up like crazy. Massive. They're already kind of there and I think they're gonna continue to get stronger and bigger.

"And maybe someday they'll be nice enough to let us open for them. I'll take it."

While Halestorm isn't completely back to the way things were pre-pandemic, like not doing meet and greets just yet out of health concerns, fans can still expect the same kind of shows the band has been known for. No pre-recordings, click tracks or lip syncing. What you see and hear is authentic, part of the band's charm.

For those coming out to see Halestorm at Buddy Holly Hall, Hale said fans can expect longer sets from each of the three bands, and he'll be ready to show off his patented energetic performance on his drum kit.

Halestorm w/ The Warning & New Years Day

When: Sunday, Oct. 2

Where: Buddy Holly Hall/Helen Devitt Jones Theater

Start Time: 7 p.m.

Coverage: Look for a review of the show plus photos to appear on lubbockonline.com. Follow @NathanGiese on Twitter for entertainment news and coverage.