Archive for July 2016
Riot V Concert Review, Chicago, IL, July 8, 2016
I like Riot/Riot V. All incarnations. Period. They’ve never released a bad album. Some better than others, but never a bad one.
I ran into their bassist, Donnie Van Stavern, at a RUSH tribute show in San Antonio a few weeks ago and asked him about upcoming shows. He mentioned the Chicago and Detroit shows and I checked my concert calendar and my Southwest account and took the decision to just go. He said he’d hook me up with guestlist for both shows, so that was an added bonus.
I left for Chicago Friday morning on a direct flight, got there, grabbed my rental car and headed straight to the north side of town to pick up Bob, one of the organizers of the Ragnarokkr festival. He graciously offered up his place for the night. We headed first to Metal Haven Grill and I pigged out on their tasty Italian beef and a char polish sausage. It was entirely too much food but it was delicious. You gotta go if you’re ever in Chicago. Their record and CD selection is ever expanding and there is a ton of great original heavy metal artwork on display, mind-numbingly so. From there we went to one of the locations of Reckless Records. I didn’t find anything but it was a cool place. Afterwards we headed back to Bob’s. I changed clothes and off we went to the red line EL train to Reggie’s.
We got in and I saw a couple of folks I knew from the area that I had met at previous Ragnarokkr shows. Crusader was the opening act and they played the whole time I was upstairs at Record Breakers store where I bought a bunch of albums to have shipped back to Texas. Didn’t hear a note of them so I can’t comment. Scars of Armageddon were on next and they were a proggy/power metal/slight hint of nu-metal band with excellent guitar work and a good singer. I’d never buy an album by them but wouldn’t be upset to see them again. Direct support for Riot was a local Judas Priest tribute band called Judas Rising. Pass. I mean, sure, they sounded alright although their singer I think would sound better doing a Di’Anno era Maiden tribute. I don’t know, I just wasn’t feeling it at all.
After a quick set change, the lights go down and you hear the taped live version of Narita and then Frank leads in with the drum into to Flight of the Warrior. The crowd of 200+ was into it, singing every word. They then went into Ride Hard, Live Free from the latest album and then Fight or Fall. I was on the stage left side where Van Stavern and Lance Barnewold (filling in for Nick Lee for this mini tour) we located. Lance is Nick’s perfect replacement. Both guys have flawless execution of riffs and solos. They mix the set up with old and new songs. The whole band was great. I also appreciated getting handed the bottle of tequila from Donnie a couple of times. And just let me say this, Todd Michael Hall is one of the best singers in metal out there right now. That guy’s range is phenomenal. He’s really just a freak of nature vocally like Harry Conklin and Mike Soliz. It was great to hear Black Leather and Glittering Steel in the set as well. They did 6 from Thundersteel including my fave, Johnny’s Back.
At the end of their set, Todd announced that they’d com out to the merch booth right after a quick break. Two minutes after that, Reggie’s staff was kicking everyone out. It wasn’t even 1:30 AM yet. So we just hung out on the street with the locals friends and then went around to their back door to shoot the breeze with Donnie, Mike and Lance. During their set, I took a pick of Lance and posted it on NIck’s Facebook page with the words, “Fake Nick is getting it done.” haha.
It was a great show but I was beat so we hopped on the train back to Bob’s. We got delayed at one stop because of some dude raising hell at the stand and not letting the doors close. The guy sitting across from me woke up and said, “Fucking crackies!” A few moments we were on our way.
I got to sleep around 4AM but I didn’t sleep well at all. I was up and ready to go by 745AM, said adios to Bob and was on my almost 5hr drive to Detroit.
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America Concert Review, San Antonio, TX, July 2, 2016
It’s the 4th of July weekend, what better band to see than America? I missed their Austin show a few months back and was happy to see they booked a San Antonio show.
It’s been a busy day. I had just had the first rehearsal with my new band and then went to meet Stryper.
My beautiful friend, Margarita, met me at the show and in we went. The Tobin Center is a great venue. Absolutely gorgeous and not a bad seat in the house.
I’ve always loved the band since I was a kid. AM radio gold type stuff. The band consists of 2 of the originals, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley. And as no surprise, the backing band was incredible.
They opened with Tin Man and You Can Do Magic. Sandman and You Can Do Magic were my 2 faves of the night. They sounded great, especially Dewey’s vocals. Gerry’s were a little rough but those harmonies get tough at their age. The set was mixed with everything from their famous greatest hits album to a few deeper cuts and a couple of newer songs. It was a great show overall and was sold out.
Stryper Concert Review, San Antonio, TX, July 2, 2016
In November 1985 (hard to believe it’s been almost 31 years) I attend my first metal concert ever. It was Stryper at the Boathouse in Norfolk, VA (RIP). I was 15 and it was a pretty important show for us. The next opportunity to see them was in 1988 opening for Hurricane at the Hampton Coliseum. I didn’t go as I was already disinterested in Stryper by then. My friend Bill and I did cruise the parking lot that night to check out the ladies and haze the posers though. haha.
To be honest, Michael Sweet’s vocals really grate on my nerves. He’s the Dennis DeYoung (Styx) of metal. That being said, the 1985 show was still a big thing for me and getting the chance to meet them and have them sign their photo in The Book was an opportunity that I didn’t want to miss.
Once I got to speak to them, I mentioned that Boathouse show and that it was my first metal show. They were pretty much indifferent but Tim Gaines did say that he remember that “dumpy venue.” Oz Fox was mildly interested in The Book as was Michael Sweet who said, “Ah yes, I’ve seen one of these before.” Robert Sweet looked like he didn’t want to be there, reminiscent of meeting Scott Ian. But whatever, I got them in The Book and that’s what was important. After a quick photo I headed over to the America show.
The Stryper show was sold out and when I got back to the venue, Austin’s The Dharma Kings were on stage. I missed the other 5 openers completely. I wish I had missed The Dharma Kings. While that dude has a decent voice, their songs are pretty uninteresting. Add to the fact that it was jam packed in there and hot as hell. I finished their set on the patio enjoying a refreshing beer.
Stryper hit the stage around 10:50 opening with Yahweh (Ya Guey?)then into the classic You Know What To Do. I had forgotten how much of a shredder Michael Sweet was. He had been sick during some recent shows on this tour but showed no signs of that last night as he was hitting all of the high notes effortlessly. They played a few more songs that I didn’t know and then went into Co’mon Rock, a song that I do like and maybe my favorite by them. The crowd was really into them. San Antonio loves Jesus and Stryper apparently. The band sounded fantastic in general. Backing vocals were perfect. You often hear about drummers playing behind the beat and i don’t think any drummer exemplifies that term more than Robert Sweet.
They did an album of covers a few years back and played Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell and KISS’ Shout it out Loud. After the KISS cover, I was done. Tired, bored and having seen what the setlist was, it wasn’t worth waiting around for the closer, Soldier Under Command. So I bailed.
It was a good and busy day but I’ll likely not see Stryper again, at least not for another 31 years.
The Metal Files 
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