I had never been to The Orpheum in Tampa before, and I don’t usually drive far for concerts on weekdays, but this time, there was good reason. UK-based electronic/rock band Ladytron was in town as part of their North American tour with synthpop prodigy Danz CM (formerly Computer Magic) opening.
Both artists could be described as electronically driven, multi-layered, new-wave indie rock. Or something like that. I was excited to catch Ladytron but even more thrilled to finally see Danz CM, having been a fan since around 2015, following the release of her album Davos.
The late afternoon drive from Orlando to Tampa was no picnic, especially during rush hour. I picked up my wife from work, hoping to make it by 7:00 pm when the doors opened. Despite the stress of getting there, the concert remained a chance to decompress and enjoy two great bands—a simple prospect and experience worth remembering.
The Orpheum resides in a college town near the University of Tampa. We arrived just past seven to find a steadily growing crowd inside. There were people of all ages, many with tattoos and piercings, dressed in black or donning concert shirts. Some had already gathered at the front of the darkened stage. Beyond the open floor were several glossy wooden tables with stools stretched to the back alongside the bustling bar.
Band merchandise was set up near the entrance. There was also an outside area with a bar, food truck, and plenty of space to walk around. I ordered a drink and strolled about not quite ready to stand in the merchandise line. Before too long, we designated our spot within the crowd at a moderate distance from the stage. The show was about to begin.
Danz CM is a self-taught musician and founder of Synth History (a collective) and her label, Channel 9 Records. In addition to her music, she composes soundtracks and recently partnered with the Criterion Channel to deliver a series on the history of synth-based movie soundtracks. She’s industrious, to say the least, and an inspiration to any artistically driven person with their passions still intact.
Sometime after 8:00 pm, Danz entered the stage as her banner projected onto the screen behind her. Under the dark glow of orange and blue lighting, she flawlessly delivered a brief set that strongly represented her prolific talent. She performed as a one-person band, operating keyboards and MIDI consoles while singing.
The thrill of seeing a NY-based artist I had long admired so close to home deeply resonated. The pulsating beats enveloped my senses. Catchy hooks layered with her fantastic vocals unleashed an infectious groove. Danz often switched between two different microphones for effect, while moving from one end of the stage to the other.
I was excited to hear “Idea of You,” “Low,” “Don’t Stop,” “Breaking Point,” and “I Don’t Need a Hero,” from her latest album The Absurdity of Human Existence (read my review here). Within a set largely relegated to that album, she also performed her magnum opus “Fuzz” from Davos.
Early on, she introduced some family members in attendance. Her mother lived in Tampa, and the tour provided the opportunity to visit. I was later able to meet Danz and get my record signed, making the trip even more worth it.
Rewind It’s Shawn McKee with Danz CM at The Orpheum in Tampa, FL on 8/28/24 (Photo by Jhen McKee).
I also spoke briefly with her mother near the vendor displays. “Thanks so much for bringing Danz to Tampa,” I said, with whatever ridiculous fandom that followed. She was equally gracious and as a mother, immensely proud.
Ladytron played to a packed room with a dazzling rear projection of vibrant colors that matched their equally sprawling sound. The band delivered loud, hypnotic thumping nearly deafening in execution. With most band members shrouded in the shadows, lead vocalist Helen Marine emerged under the spotlights and belted evocative lyrics in her typically ethereal fashion.
Her distinctive vocals were accompanied by heavy guitars, blasting beats, heart-stopping bass, and an effervescent, multilayered synth that formed a trance-like wave of sound. Guitarist Daniel Hunt ranged between playing clean, bluesy, and grunge-like chords with deft precision. Keyboardist and co-lead vocalist Mira Aroyo delivered beautiful harmonies, powerful beats, and layered synths.
Their combined electronic spectacle unleashed a heightened, up-tempo energy for some songs and a slower, methodical groove for others. They opened with the rock anthem “Ghost” followed by the infectious “City of Angels” from their latest album Time’s Arrow (2023).
Ladytron remains a unique blend of indie rocker Mazzy Star and goth band Switchblade Symphony but with a sound all their own.
Throughout their performance, they covered a lot of ground chronicling their 25-year career. Their set included songs from 604 (2001), Light & Magic (2002), Witching Hour (2005), Velocifero (2008), Gravity the Seducer (2011), and their self-titled 2019 album. The song “International Dateline” (a personal favorite) was one of the show’s many highlights.
It’s hard to believe these synth-pop pioneers have been around so long. But as life goes on, the music we love always grows with us. It’s a special thing to see live regardless of time or distance.
Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to witness a number of historic rock and metal acts grace the stage at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL; a reunited Black Sabbath and Judas Priest at Ozzfest in 2004. STP/GN’R offshoot Velvet Revolver along with grunge masters Alice In Chains in 2007. And the mighty KISS and Motley Crue together on the same bill in 2012 (just to name a few).
But I never expected to cram in so many shows in such a short time there as I had this summer; Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds Tour on July 14, Styx and Foreigner on July 20, and, as of this past Tuesday, August 20, Yacht Rock Revue, REO Speedwagon, and Train (the latter of which I definitely never thought I would ever be seeing live). The one difference between those two recent shows and this one though was Rewind It were actually there on official business this time, with a photo pass in hand to cover the entire show in full detail.
The show kicked off with young Anchorheads Yacht Rock Revue, and judging by the amount of followers in Captain’s hats that had clearly come specifically to see them, they would prove to no doubt be a like-able act. The band opened with the 1980 Christopher Cross hit “Ride Like the Wind” to much applause, and had me “hooked” from that point forward.
Other soft rock staples like “Lowdown” by Boz Scaggs, “So Into You” by Atlanta Rhythm Section, “You Make Loving Fun” by Fleetwood Mac, “Heart to Heart” by Kenny Loggins, and of course, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass helped keep the spirit of these tracks alive and well before the band launched into an original song of theirs, “Tropical Illusion.”
Yacht Rock Revue gave their best renditions of ’70s/’80s soft rock classics on Tuesday night in Tampa, FL(Photo by Jacob Striewski).
But the guys weren’t done just yet; Toto’s “Africa,” Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street,” and Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” all made their way in their set before the band finally set sail and left port, winning over many a new fan along the way I’m sure.
REO Speedwagon was no doubt the band that got myself and teenage son Jacob through the gates that night, and one that I had missed out on seeing several times over the years despite many chances to catch them. To say I was determined to finally check them off the bucket list would be an understatement.
“Don’t Let Him Go” and “Take It on the Run” was the perfect one-two punch to open it with, while “Keep Pushin’,” “Live Every Moment,” “Tough Guys,” “I Wish You Were There,” and “Music Man” found Kevin Cronin and company keeping the momentum going before getting back to the real heavy-hitters (also to note, I hadn’t realized until the show began that longtime bassist Bruce Hall was M.I.A. for this show, though former David Lee Roth/Electric Light Orchestra bassist Matt Bissonette seemed a fitting substitute in his place).
The timeless power ballad “Can’t Fight This Feeling” found cell phones across the venue aglow before “Son of a Poor Man,” “Time For Me to Fly,” and “Ridin’ the Storm Out” segued into the classic love song “Keep on Loving You” to close things out on an epic high note.
Lastly, there was Train. As I had alluded to earlier, Train is no doubt a band I can’t say I’ve ever gone out of my way to listen to. But I was indeed surprised by the amount of energy displayed by both band and crowd once they hit the stage, opening with the 2003 hit “Calling All Angels.”
Band founder and frontman Pat Monahan had the crowd in the palm of his hands as the group went through tracks like “If It’s Love,” “Get to Me,” and “Save Me, San Francisco,” casually taking selfies on cell phones handed to him via audience members near the front of the stage along the way.
Train frontman Pat Monahan was in the zone this past Tuesday, August 20 in Tampa, FL (Photo by Jacob Striewski).
But alas, by the time the band got to “Meet Virginia/The Joker,” Jacob had long finished shooting his final song of the night in the photo pit, and the two of us were hanging on by a thread after a grueling long day leading up to the event. Knowing we still had that two hour drive ahead of us, we packed up our gear and headed out to the highway (hitting a McDonnald’s drive thru on the way home too of course just for good measure).
Through it all, it was a night of music worth documenting, and memories worth making with my newest Photographer, and one and only child that should no doubt last a lifetime for the both of us.
I really was not anticipating making two separate trips to Tampa to see concerts with the family this past week, but sometimes opportunities present themselves that you’ve just got to run with. And while the previous weekend’s Sammy Hagar show was filled with nonstop rain that found us all drenched to the bone, classic rockers Styx and Foreigner at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre this past Saturday, 7/20 was a relatively dry (albeit humid) night in comparison.
Traffic did however cause Brooke, Jacob and I to be late enough to miss the entirety of John Waite’s set, although we could still hear the faint echos of what sounded like a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” closing out his set on our way into the venue (thankfully I had already seen Waite once before back in 2012).
For as long as I can remember, Foreigner have been an American (and technically also British) institution, and we were ready for the very first notes of opener “Double Vision” on what is likely the band’s “farewell” tour of sorts (dubbed the Renegades & Juke Box Heroes Tour on paper). Classics like “Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Feels Like the First Time,” and “Urgent” (which it’s very possible I’ve done at least one of these at karaoke at some point in my life) all filled the evening air.
An admirable drum solo by former Eddie Money, Steve Vai, and Whitesnake drummer Chris Frazier signaled a brief reprieve (although not for the one obnoxious drunk girl directly in front of us – on her feet and dancing the entire show – even during the drum solo! That’s a new one indeed) before the band stormed back with “Juke Box Hero.”
Foreigner getting the crowd primed properly in Tampa, FL on 7/20/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
Lead singer Kelly Hansen brought the crowd to its feet and had them singing along (with the assistance of the Plant High School Chorus behind him to boot) on arguably still one of the greatest power ballads ever written and performed, 1984’s “I Want to Know What Love Is,” before finally ending the night with the classic hard-hitting anthem “Hot Blooded”
Seeing the likes of the previously-mentioned Hansen and Frazier, as well as former Dokken bassist/Rewind It Magazine interviewee Jeff Pilson, all performing these timeless classics on stage together was no doubt a moment in time that I’m glad was not missed. Perhaps the only other thing I would’ve really liked to have seen would’ve been at least a brief appearance from lone original guitarist Mick Jones, but I won’t complain too much after a set as stellar as theirs!
Styx is another one of those bands that have just always been there too, whether at the forefront or in the background, making up the soundtracks of our lives for decades. If memory serves me correctly I’ve danced (or tried to anyway) with at least one girl to one of their songs in my lifetime, most likely at a school function (or was that just an episode of Freaks and Geeks?).
After numerous missed chances to catch the band live over the years, that finally ended once the band took stage with “The Grand Illusion.” Tommy Shaw’s “Too Much Time on My Hands” had the crowd eating out of his before the band slowed things down for 1973’s “Lady,” largely regarded to be the first true rock power ballad of all time.
“Lorelei,” “Crash of the Crown,” “Miss America,” and “Rockin’ in Paradise” all kept the crowd going well enough prior to them finally breaking out the big guns. “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “The Best of Times,” “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” and of course, “Come Sail Away” gave the audience the biggest bang for their bucks that night.
After exiting the stage in typical fashion, the band returned for an encore that included the unmistakable “Mr. Roboto” before finally closing it out with “Renegade.” To say all these songs mentioned here have stood the test of time would be a gross understatement; don’t miss the chance to hear them live if you haven’t already at least once in your lifetime (you’ll be hard-pressed to regret it).
The one and only time I was lucky enough to see Van Halen live in Orlando back in 2008 was monumental for me; I knew I was watching total greatness on stage that night, grinning from ear-to-ear from start to finish, especially while watching the late Eddie Van Halen perform his guitar solo. To this day, those concert tickets were one of the best gifts anyone has ever given to me, and I’m forever grateful to have seen such sheer raw talent and brilliance in my lifetime (thanks again, Dad).
Yet I still felt at the time like there was something missing that night. As much respect as I have for Eddie’s talented son Wolfgang, as a bass player at heart, it was the riffs of Michael Anthony from the band’s “classic” lineup that I had actually grown up playing along to, and I couldn’t help but feel a certain sense of disappointment that he was not there that night. And as exciting as a reunion with original frontman David Lee Roth seemed at the time, I’ve always felt Sammy Hagar has been miles above him talent-wise.
So I was of course elated when my wife Brooke actually won tickets last December to the Red Rocker’s show at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater this past Sunday, July 14. The tour not only features fellow Van Halen alumni Michael Anthony on bass and a VH-heavy set list, but guitar extraordinaire Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham (who Rewind It actually just caught last year with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening at Welcome to Rockville).
Of course our luck would change on the actual day of show, as we battled our way through rain storms to get to the venue on time, only to remain water-logged throughout its entire duration. It was so bad that even openers Loverboy decided not to take part; thankfully the wife and I had already seen them once before back in 2014, though our teenaged son Jacob (who is perpetually playing catch up with us!) was actually looking forward to hearing such classics as “Turn Me Loose” and “When It’s Over” (among many others) for the first time.
But the minute the entrance video featuring various clips throughout Hagar’s five-plus decade long career began to play, all worries went to the wayside (for the most part), and it was time to finally rock. Opening with “Good Enough” from Van Halen’s 5150 album from 1986 was not quite the initial “jolt” one might be hoping for right off the bat, but fortunately numbers like “Poundcake,” “Runaround,” “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” and “Judgement Day” were all admirable follow-ups possible of transporting a person back to a specific time and place almost immediately.
Hagar then surprisingly went into “Panama” from the Roth-era 1984 record before launching in to “5150” and “Summer Nights.” After this Sammy graciously stepped aside to let Anthony sing the lead on “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” from VH’s classic 1978 debut album (one of the definite highlights of the night for sure).
Longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (left) and Sammy Hagar performing in Tampa, FL on 7/14/24 (Photo By Chuck Davis).
“Top of the World,” “Best of Both Worlds,” the Satriani-lead “Satch Boogie,” and “The Seventh Seal” (the only track played from VH’s last full-length album with Hagar at the lead, 1995’s Balance), all followed prior to performing the iconic “Right Now” – without a doubt one of the biggest rock hits of the early ’90s and a major part of my own youth (the band’s 1991 effort For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was actually the first album I ever owned on CD).
By the time Sammy and co. got to their fifteenth track of the night, “Why Can’t This Be Love,” we had had more than enough of our share of rain, and decided it was time to hit the exits and call it a night. We could still hear the tracks “Eagles Fly” and “Mas Tequila” as we made our rounds through the venue, but with a two hour trek still to get home, missing hits like “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55” did not feel like such a loss at the time.
Regardless of what songs we may or may not have missed that night, the fact remains we made it through it, and the family and I were able to actually share a night of hearing the music of Van Halen together for once (special thanks to Photographer Chuck Davis for donating a couple of the awesome shots he obtained that night to Rewind It Magazine, too!), making every bit of it worthwhile.
Ever since the moment I first got my hands on a fully intact vinyl copy of KISS’ 1979 Dynasty album via a secondhand find as a teenager, I’ve been a loyal, card-carrying member of the KISS Army. But the one and only time I was able to actually catch the band live back in 2012, I could not help but feel there was still something missing…namely the absence of beloved original guitarist Ace Frehley.
But after the week I had just endured, I wasn’t sure I’d even make it to Frehley’s show at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Friday, June 21. It was both my sick wife Brooke, and teenaged son Jacob – who had been too young to see KISS with me all those years ago – that helped each motivate and convince me not to miss the Spaceman again by saying “But you love KISS!” (hard to argue with that logic!).
Local Orlando rockers Sick Dogs were still on stage by the time Jacob and I had arrived that night, and although they put in admirable enough effort, their harder-edged sound seemed slighty “off” for the setting. But the moment Frehley hit the stage with 1977’s “Shock Me,” I knew we had made the right choice to catch Ace (who claimed he was literally just dropped off in a car just moments before taking stage).
The immortal KISS anthem “Shout It Out Loud” followed before Ace dropped a new track, the catchy “Cherry Medicine” (which unfortunately a good portion of the crowd did not seem to care much about at all), but the epic Frehley’s Comet track “Rock Soldiers” from 1987 got everything back on track.
Another KISS classic followed in the form of “Love Gun,” which drummer Scot Coogan (also of L.A. Guns) took over the lead vocal duties for, though not before a slight “mishap” the first go-round as the band stopped the song early in it’s offset to berate the lighting techs for improper placement of the spotlight (I can’t make this up!).
The title track to Frehley’s latest album “10,000 Volts” gave the audience a much-needed jolt of electricity before going into “Parasite.” Then the intro to “God of Thunder” segued into a couple from Frehley’s 1978 solo album in the form of “New York Groove” and “Rip It Up.”
From that point forward it was all KISS classics (“Detroit Rock City,” “Cold Gin,” “Strange Ways,” and Frehley’s self-proclaimed, all-time personal favorite, “Deuce”), instrumental jams, and solos (complete with Ace’s signature smoking guitars, of course) before Ace and company (which also currently consists of guitarist Jeremy Asbrock and bassist Ryan Cook, each of Gene Simmons’ solo band, too) exited stage.
Of course things could not simply end there though; within minutes, the band was back on stage to close things out with arguably one one of the biggest rock anthems of all time, the immortal (albeit overplayed) “Rock and Roll All Nite.” It was the only fitting end cap for a night already full of legendary rock, from one legendary rocker.
There’s a certain amount of pros versus cons that have to be weighed when factoring in an extensive, four-day music festival such as Welcome to Rockville. On the one hand, you’re getting in a LOT of your favorite bands in a very short span of time. But on the other hand, you’re also getting much shorter set lists, and dealing with WAY more obnoxious, drunken fools than you would on any other given normal day of the week (such a blast I’ll tell ya).
It’s a definite take-the-good-with-the-bad type of situation to say the least. But for better or worse, I bit the bullet, taking my son Jacob once again to catch up on many of the bands I’ve already seen over the years, but he had yet to have the chance to catch live himself (my wife Brooke wisely decided to sit most of it out, only attending the first night at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, May 9). Said first day was one for the books indeed, and I will try to recall as much of the massive festival as I possibly can here, from start to finish.
DAY 1:
The very first band we caught while walking up on the very first day was Saliva, and we could hear the sounds of their generic 2000 hit “Click Click Boom” (thankfully) ending just as we entered the gates. Luckily ’90s rockers Stabbing Westward were up directly afterwards, although something seemed slightly “off” since the last time I saw them back in 2019 (namely some lineup changes that now included the lack of a bass player). After catching a few tracks in the form of “Falls Apart,” “The Thing I Hate,” and “I Don’t Believe,” it was already on to the next band, which at that point was Flyleaf w/ Lacy Sturm.
I can’t say I’ve ever really sat down and listened to Flyleaf a single day of my life, but there was no denying frontwoman Sturm had a certain presence (not to mention cuteness) to her. After a few minutes of the chaos that is Shadows Fall (a little closer up my ally with songs like “King of Nothing” and “Still I Rise”), Christian rockers Skillet blasted through several of their admirable well-known anthems like “Feel Invincible,” “Rise,” “Surviving the Game,” “Awake and Alive,” and “Hero,” it was time to catch one of the biggest draws of the entire festival for me…Max Cavalera and Soulfly.
I had seen his former band Sepultura a couple of times previously (most recently at last year’s Welcome to Rockville), but never with frontman Cavalera at the helm. So it was a blast finally hearing such epic tracks as “Bleed,” “Refuse/Resist,” “Jumpdafuckup,” and “Eye for an Eye” with Cavalera’s distinct voice over them (along with his son Zyon behind him on the drumkit to boot).
Max Cavalera and Soulfly on stage on Thursday, May 9 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
Next up was an even bigger favorite for me; Anthrax. I’ve seen them a handful of times prior as well (seems like each time with a different lineup), but this time bassist/former Rewind It interviewee Frank Bello was unable to attend, so the band enlisted none other than original bassist Dan Liker (also of S.O.D. and Nuclear Assault, among many others) to fill in for him on this tour for the first time in four decades.
I instantly felt like I was watching metal history as the opening notes of “Among the Living” kicked in and the guys absolutely slayed the stage! “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad” (finally something off the first album live!), “Antisocial,” “A.I.R.,” “Got the Time,” and “Indians” all felt new again (no disrespect to Bello of course).
Metal legendsAnthrax performing with original bassist Dan Liker for the first time in four decades on 5/9/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
A few more acts more in line with my son’s tastes than my own in the form of August Burns Red, Mudvayne, and Biohazard all followed before the mighty Judas Priest, who it had been nearly twenty years since the last time I saw them all the way back at Ozzfest in 2004 (not counting catching spinoff act KK’s Priest earlier this year). There just felt like there was something missing this time though unfortunately without both KK Downing and Glen Tipton handling guitar duties.
New tracks and classics alike in the form of “Panic Attack,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Rapid Fire,” “Breaking the Law,” “Lighting Strike,” “Love Bites,” “Sinner,” and even “Turbo Lover” (a nice welcomed addition that I don’t recall them playing back in ’04) were all heard before we were heading to the next act…Insane Clown Posse (which proved to be a mammoth mistake).
The sound during ICP’s set was beyond comprehension, and it was hard to even distinguish whether it was intentionally done, or just a major foul up (either way it was terrible). Needless to say it didn’t take us long to move on to the next one again.
And that next one this time was Disturbed. Those who know me know that I’ve never claimed to be a big nu metal fan by any means, but there are some bands in the genre I can tolerate more than others, with Disturbed no doubt being one of them. Opening with “Hey You,” the band must’ve been suffering from similar technical difficulties as ICP (though not quite as bad) as chants of “Fix the Sound!” could be clearly heard throughout the Speedway. But that didn’t stop the band from going through numbers like “Stupify,” Ten Thousand Fists,” “Prayer,” “Bad Man,” a cover of Genesis’ “Land of Confusion,” and “The Game.” But their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” seemed like the perfect time to head on to the next act.
Enter Kerry King of Slayer, a man I’ve seen and even photographed on stage on more than one occasion over the years. After the two sub-par sets we had just witnessed, it was a total breath of fresh air of metal for sure. Hearing the 1986 classic “Raining Blood” live again, and new tracks like “From Hell I Rise” (all being sung by Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda and with former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel in tow as well, which were added bonuses for sure) was completely worthwhile.
Legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King and his current “supergroup” that also includes Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda and ex-Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmelon Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo by JesseStriewski).
It was while transferring from one stage to the next again that I could see Disturbed were not only still on, but had invited a female guest singer on stage with them. I would later come to find out that guest was none other than Ann Wilson of Heart Fame (the two parties share vocal duties on the track “Don’t Tell Me”); it was a moment I wish we had been fully aware was happening, though I’m still glad we witnessed what little of it that we actually did.
And finally, Motley Crue. There was a time when I genuinely loved Motley Crue, but unfortunately they have not aged all that gracefully. With this latest appearance, I’ve now seen them a total of four times since 2005, and it feels as though they are merely climbing further and further downhill (taking original guitarist Mick Mars out of the equation in favor of John 5 was not necessarily the right move for them, either).
After kicking things off with a rather embarrassing “Breaking News” segment, the band opened their set decently enough with a somewhat strong version of their 1991 single “Primal Scream.” But from then on, it was merely more of the same old situation (if you’ve seen Motley Crue once, you’ve seen them more than enough times) that included “Too Fast For Love,” “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Live Wire,” and “On with the Show.” By the time the guys got to “new” track “Dogs of War,” it felt like more than a signal to finally call it a night.
Motley Crue closing out the first night of Welcome to Rockville on Thursday, 5/9/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).
Day 2:
The second day day of the festival was admittedly the least interesting one to me. The first act Jacob and I would catch on this day was ’90s female rockers Kittie, who I can’t say I was ever really a fan of, though there was a small amount of curiosity to hear how tracks like “Brackish” would sound firsthand.
After that, there was a bit of downtime before the next band of interest, Russian deathcore act Slaughter to Prevail, was on. I had only really given their music a spin once or twice in the past (unlike my kid, a noted fan), but there was no denying the amount of energy they threw down. After them, it was on to the sounds of ’90s punks The Offspring (my third time seeing them live since 2009).
I’ve always held a small spot in my heart for The Offspring, although their views boarder on idiocy to me, and the unceremonious dismissals of both founding bassist Greg K and former drummer Pete Parada (the latter of which apparently getting the boot over not wanting to get vaccinated – again, sheer idiocy) were downright lame in my book. Still, there’s no denying the catchy-ness of songs like “Come Out and Play,” “All I Want,” “Want You Bad,” “Staring at the Sun,” “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” “Blitzkrieg Bop” (one of at least three bands to cover the overplayed Ramones anthem at Rockville this year), “Bad Habbit,” “Gotta Get Away,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.”
The Offspring performing at Welcome to Rockville on Friday, 5/10/24 (Photo By Jesse Striewski).
Next up were Falling in Reverse, and although former Escape the Fate frontman Ronnie Radke still maintains the same energy he did back when I first saw the band at Earthday Birthday in 2011, something just feels “missing” now. Whether it’s the numerous lineup changes since then, or the quality of the music itself that has since been released, it’s not as thrilling of an act as it might have once been. Still, there was no denying the crowd was eating up tracks like “Zombified,” “I’m Not a Vampire,” “Losing My Mind,” “Fuck You and All Your Friends,” “The Drug in Me Is You,” “Just Like You,” “Popular Monster,” “Voices in My Head,” “Ronald,” and “Watch the World Burn.”
It had been quite awhile since I last saw Faith No More frontman Mike Patton live on stage with the short-lived Tomahawk back in 2002, and I was really looking forward to hearing the legendary singer on stage again with an act as eclectic as Mr. Bungle. Although the band is not for everyone’s tastes, is was still a trip watching Patton belt out the likes of “Hell Awaits,” “True,” and “You Lose” (among many others) alongside former FNM bandmate Trey Spruance, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.
Next up was singer/rapper Jelly Roll, who back when we first attended Rockville the first time in 2021 was one of the lower tier acts there (though I don’t recall actually seeing him at that time), but has since blown up to full headliner status. A cover of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was the first song I could hear emanating through the speakers while walking up. If for nothing more than sheer curiosity, we stuck it out long enough to hear tracks/hits like “Smoking Section,” “Same Asshole,” “The Hate Goes On,” “Bottle of Mary Jane,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Need a Favor” before going over to the last stage of the night for (I can’t believe I’m even saying it) Limp Bizkit.
Let me first start by saying I was never, not once a Limp Bizkit fan, ever (in fact, you might say I was even a “hater” back when they first emerged on the scene). But for whatever reason my kid is a fan, so I endured their set, all the way from the opening of “Break Stuff” to a cover of Riff Raff’s “Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwdinz” (can’t say I know that one!) with rapper Riff Raff himself. Even Jelly Roll made another appearance to help the band out on their cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes.” I still can’t say I’m a fan, but after seeing them live, I can see how some might find Fred Durst and company entertaining now.
Day 3:
Saturday the 11th was definitely another day for the books. We arrived just in time to catch the very last song of Mammoth WVH’s (former Van Halen bassist and the son of the late Eddie Van Halen’s project) final song. But it was okay considering he would make another appearance later on in the day (stay tuned).
Stone Temple Pilots are one of those ’90s bands that have alluded me for many years now (though I was lucky enough to catch late singer Scott Weiland live on stage with Velvet Revolver in both 2005 and 2007). Even without Weiland there, his presence could still be felt as songs like “Wicked Garden,” “Big Bang Baby,” “Vaseline,” “Crackerman,” “Big Empty,” “Plush,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart,” and “Sex Type Thing” all echoed through the air that afternoon.
Primus were up next, and significantly more entertaining than the first time I saw them open for Tool back in 2016 (I knew it was a good sign as I walked up to the sounds of “Sgt. Baker” – my personal favorite by them – being played). More gems like “Here Come the Bastards,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” and “American Life” could be heard before it was time to move on to the next stage already.
Les Claypool and Primus rock Rockville on Saturday, 5/11/24 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
Helmet are another one of those bands I can’t say I ever really got that into either, and the one and only time I saw them prior (back at the 2006 Warped Tour), they didn’t really leave much of an impression. The only noticeable difference I can recall between the two shows was that they actually played the track “Milquetoast” (from 1994’s The Crow soundtrack) this time around.
Same goes for the next act, A Day to Remember. While I’ve seen them a couple of times previously as well, nothing has really left that big of an impression on me. One could of course hear such “hits” of theirs that day, including “The Downfall of us All” and “All I Want,” for better or worse. Still, it was no worse than catching a glimpse of L7’s set, which had to be the most unappealing act of the entire festival, and I don’t recall seeing a single smiling face between the group or the crowd.
The next band Greta Van Fleet seemed like a talented enough bunch with their throwback sound to ’70s rock, though can’t say I’ve ever given their music much mind, either. But as if L7 weren’t unappealing enough, Queens of the Stone Age had to be the most boring act of them all (and I actually don’t mind some of the material frontman Josh Homme has been a part of as a member of Kyuss). Tracks like “Little Sister” and “Go with the Flow” had me wanting to go somewhere else indeed.
Finally, the mighty Foo Fighters took the stage, and I had finally felt like I had come full circle seeing a member of Nirvana live in the form of frontman Dave Grohl (not to mention touring guitarist Pat Smear, also known for his time with ’70s punks the Germs, among others). Aiding them behind the drumkit now in place of the late Taylor Hawkins was also Josh Freese of The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails, and Guns N’ Roses (just to name a few).
I had not actually planned to stay the entirety of their two-hour set that night, but circumstances out of my control kept me there until the very last note of the very last song, which in hindsight I’m actually glad I did despite my exhaustion. The band started off with a strong start in the form of “All My Life,” “No Son of Mine,” “Rescued,” “The Pretender,” “Times Like These,” “La Dee Day,” “Breakout,” “Medicine at Midnight,” and “Walk.”
The most interesting moments of the evening however came when some guitar and keyboard solos lead to the band goofing around and just having a good time. First via the Beastie Boys’ “Sabatage,” then some individual moments; Pat Smear returning to his punk rock roots via “Blitzkreig Bop” (again with that song!) and Josh Freese pounding out some Nine Inch Nails beats via “March of the Pigs.” But the best moment of them all came when Grohl tricked his audience into believing he was playing Van Halen’s “Eruption,” only for it to be revealed it was actually Wolfgang Van Halen behind the scenes throwing down his father’s old riffs (a little bit of “Hot For Teacher” was then played for good measure, too).
Wolfgang Van Halen makes a surprise appearance mid-way through the Foo Fighters’ set on 5/11/24 to play some classic Van Halen riffs(Photo by Jesse Striewski).
After finishing the shenanigans, the band got back to business with “My Hero,” “The Sky is a Neighborhood,” “Learn to Fly,” “Arlandria,” “These Days,” “Shame Shame,” “All My Life,” “Nothing at All,” “The Glass,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Aurora,” “Best of You,” “The Teacher,” and “Everlong” (and it was at that moment, watching my son skip off hand and hand with his girlfriend to be up close, that I knew every minute of this festival was worth it).
Day 4:
By the fourth and final day (coincidentally, Mother’s Day), I was ready for a long reprieve to say the least. But we soldiered on as true warriors of rock (because what else can we do?), and made it in time for former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach’s set. The first time I had ever seen Bach all the way back in 2006, my son was only about six months old at the time. So to finally have him share in on these songs like “18 & Life” some eighteen years later, was an especially cool moment for me as a father (ironically Bach’s son is now behind the drums in his father’s band much like Soulfly, too).
Opening “Bachville” (as he so dubbed it himself) with his latest track “What Have I Got to Lose?,” he quickly belted out the classics with “Slave to the Grind” (which found Bach and company briefly segwaying into Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” too), “Here I Am,” “18 & Life,” “Monkey Business,” “I Remember You,” and “Youth Gone Wild.”
A couple more on my son’s list of bands to see, Wage War and Enter Shikari, were up next before we made it over to see one of the very first bands I ever saw at a music festival (at the 1997 Ozzfest), Fear Factory. A lot has unfortunately changed within their personal too since then though, but it was still a blast from the past to hear the likes of “Demanufacture” again. The next act (Atreyu) was another one I’ve seen several times in the past (most recently in 2010), but due to numerous inner changes their music just doesn’t hit the same anymore as it once did (songs like “Right Side of the Bed” and “Ex’s and Oh’s” just don’t have the same effect without ex-singer Alex Varkatzas screaming on them).
Sum 41 rock Daytona for possibly their last time ever on 5/12/24 as part of their final tour (Photo by Jesse Striewski).
About one or two songs each (about all that was needed) for Breaking Benjamin and Black Veil Brides followed before catching Sum 41 for their “final” tour. Another band I caught once upon a time at my first Vans Warped Tour back in 2001 (then once more in 2009, ironically with The Offspring), it may have been somewhat tolerable hearing tracks like “Motivation” and “The Hell Song” live one more time had it not been for the hordes of people clamoring to catch one last glimpse of them.
And then there’s Evanescence, a band I once saw at the height of their prime back in 2004, and another band that has gone through their own share of changes since then. But one thing is for certain, the voice of lead singer Amy Lee has not changed one bit, and is as strong as ever on tracks like “Going Under,” “Better Without You,” “Call Me When You’re Sober,” “Imaginary,” “Use My Voice,” and “Bring Me to Life” (their closer, which sounded odd this time without the “rapping” segment actually done right this time).
Amy Lee and Evanescence perform on the final night of Rockville on Sunday, 5/12/24 (Photo By Jacob Striewski).
By the time Slipknot hit the stage (this time wearing “throwback” masks from the late ’90s), I was ready to call it a night/weekend/all of the above. “(515),” “People = Shit,” “Eyeless,” “Disasterpiece,” “Custer,” and “Psychosocial” were more than enough to hear before doing just that, finally. I can’t say for certain whether or not this might be my last major music festival like this (this old man is definitely starting to feel his age for sure), but should it be, I’d say it was a high enough note to go out on.
It’s been nearly twenty solid years now since I last saw legendary founding Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing onstage at the 2004 Ozzfest (on a bill that also saw the original lineup of Black Sabbath reunited), and about five years now since I last crossed paths with former Priest/Iced Earth frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens during the Dio Returns tour in 2019. To finally see these two icons together on the same stage with KK’s Priest, and allow my seventeen-year-old son Jacob to not only witness, but also photograph it at the Mount Dora Music Hall this past Friday, March 8, was nothing short of legendary itself.
Instantly, there was excitement in the air at the unknown venue we had traveled to for the first time ever, with the line wrapped around the building for what seemed like days. Once the doors opened, it was nearly impossible to navigate around the wall-to-wall people, but we immediately spotted L.A. Guns/former Faster Pussycat guitarist Ace Von Johnson doing his thing over by the merch tables, and took it upon ourselves to go say “Hi.”
Little did I know prior to this meeting that Von Johnson had also gotten into Black Sabbath around the release of 1992’s Dehumanizer album (coincidentally around the same time I had), which was also the very same shirt that I had on that night. This sparked an entire conversation about the late Ronnie James Dio and how amazing he was (and what an underrated album 1993’s Angry Machines truly is). But alas, I ultimately did not part ways with the literal shirt on my back, but rather settled for a photo standing together/next to it.
A mutual love for Black Sabbath’s Dehumanizer album; Rewind It’s Jesse Striewski (left) with L.A. Guns guitarist Ace Von Johnson at the show on 3/8/24.
By the time we had made it to our seats for the opening act Burning Witches, the place had already filled up nicely, and Jacob decided to just get some “practice” shots of them directly from our position (this turned out to be somewhat costly – more on that shortly). I was familiar with Burning Witches via their most recent album The Dark Tower, which for whatever reason I was never able to review despite it being sent to me at the time via their label. After seeing these five ladies live though, I kind of wished that I had.
The girls gave it their all as they plowed through powerful metal tracks like “Unleash the Beast,” “Wings of Steel,” “Hexenhammer,” “Lucid Nightmare,” “The Dark Tower,” and “Burning Witches.” I was honestly too busy low-key falling for frontwoman Laura Guldemond – who at one point left stage to run through the crowd in a frenzy – to fully take in the music. Guldemond’s stage presence was equivalent of a young David Lee Roth (albeit far more sexier), jumping and kicking her heart out the whole time (I’m pretty sure we even locked eyes there once or twice, too).
Burning Witches opening the night in Mount Dora, FL on 3/8/24.
Next up were L.A. Guns, who I have been trying to see for a long time now, but have had several missed calls (they were actually on the same bill for a 2022 Tom Kiefer/Faster Pussycat show that Rewind It covered, but cancelled at the eleventh hour). And although I have also interviewed former members like ex-bassist Kelly Nickels and late drummer Steve Riley over the years, I still needed to see original guitarist (and Guns N’ Roses co-founder) Tracii Guns live at some point, and to have him still paired alongside classic-era singer Phil Lewis was the icing on the cake.
The band were on top of their ’80s-rock game, first with Guns playing guitar over a tapped version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” before ripping through old and new classics alike in the form of “Cannonball,” “Electric Gypsy,” “Over the Edge,” “You Betray,” “Sex Action” (with part of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” as an outro), “Speed,” (the intro of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” also thrown in there for good measure) “Never Enough,” a tender rendition of “The Ballad of Jayne,” and finally tearing the house down with “Rip and Tear.”
Phil Lewis (left) and Tracii Guns keeping the action going with L.A. Guns on 3/8/24.
And last but not least, the mighty KK’s Priest took stage with an onslaught of original tracks and Judas Priest classics alike, beginning with hard-hitters “Hellfire Thunderbolt” and “One More Shot at Glory” before launching into the immortal “The Ripper.”
“Reap the Whirlwind” was probably one of the least effective numbers of the night, while “Night Crawler” was a welcomed addition. “Sermons of the Sinner” lead to a trio of Priest classics I was not able to hear the band play when I originally saw them all those years ago in the form of “Burn in Hell,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” and “Hell Patrol.”
“Brothers of the Road” was epic enough on its own, but lead to a slew of more Priest staples such as “Metal Meltdown,” “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown),” “Breaking the Law,” and of course, “Victim of Changes.” As if this was not enough, the guys still broke out two more strong ones in the form of “Raise Your Fists” and “Strike of the Viper.” As a die hard Priest fan for God only knows how long now, there was very little worth finding to complain about that night.
After the show, we ran into Ace one more time before exiting the venue. After exchanging some more pleasantries, I unfortunately had to let him down as easy as I could, and let him know I in fact could not bare to part ways with said Sabbath shirt (thanks for the guitar pic that you nailed me with during your set though – good shot, Ace!).
Metal legends KK Downing (left) and Tim “Ripper” Owens ran through both new hard-hitters and classic Judas Priest staples on 3/8/24.
My appreciation for Queensryche has grown exceptionally over the past decade or so, with wife/photographer Brooke Striewski having covered two of their shows together over the years (the first one actually being one of the very first concerts we ever went to together back in 2013 while we were still just dating), and even interviewing former frontman Geoff Tate for Rewind ItMagazine back in 2021.
Yet something always felt like it was still missing to us, having heard the songs live, but without that original voice on top of them (and no offense to current Queensryche vocalist Todd La Torre, who is an admirable singer in his own right). That finally changed this past leap day, Thursday February 29 at the Peabody Auditorium, where Tate was headlining with his solo band, and former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg and his band Vandenberg as the opening act.
I’m not quite sure who I was more excited to see at the offset honestly, but the minute Vandenberg hit the stage, I was instantly glad we had made it to this show (Whitesnake is another act that has unfortunately alluded me for years now, though I have caught several other members of the band elsewhere over the years, including former guitarist Warren DeMartini of Ratt, and the band’s current guitarist Joel Hoekstra while with Night Ranger).
Former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg “kicked” things off at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL last Thursday, February 29.
They did not disappoint one bit, either. After an intro that included both part of a Beethoven piece of music and the theme from Jaws, the group (which also currently includes former Candlemass vocalist/Swedish singer Mats Leven at front and center) launched into high gear with “Hit the Ground Running.”
An onslaught of both Whitesnake classics and Vandenberg numbers then followed in the form of “Fool For Your Loving,” “1982,” “Give Me All Your Love,” “Freight Train,” “Sailing Ships,” “Judgment Day,” “Crying in the Rain,” “Burning Heart,” and “Still of the Night” before ending things on the highest of notes possible with the timeless 1987 Whitesnake hit, “Here I Go Again.”
One-time Candlemassfrontman Mats Leven on stage with Vandenberg last Thursday evening.
Finally, things came full circle once ex-Queensryche frontman, the unmistakable Geoff Tate took the stage as the main event, opening strong with the classic “Empire,” though I could’ve thought of at least a dozen other tracks I would’ve rather heard in place of both follow-ups “Desert Dance” and “I Am I” (not to knock ’em too much, though). Thankfully, “The Thin Line,” “Operation: Mindcrime,” and “Breaking the Silence” helped push things further back in the right direction.
As soon as the opening notes of the guitar intro to “I Don’t Believe in Love” took effect, the crowd was fully invested once more. But the next number from Queensryche’s debut album The Warning, would’ve been much more welcomed had it been a slightly better track from said album instead of “NM156” (for instance, the track “Warning” itself – a much more solid effort – though I must admit I’m a tad bias).
Guitarist Dario Parente (left) and Geoff Tate performing at the Peabody in Daytona on 2/29/24.
A couple of songs from 1986’s stellar Rage For Order album followed in the form of “Screaming in Digital” and “Walk in the Shadows” (the latter one of my personal favorites), before “Another Rainy Night (Without You),” “Jet City Woman,” and the 1990 power ballad/Queensryche swan swong “Silent Lucidity’ seemingly closed things out for the night.
But the band were not quite done just yet, as Tate and company soon returned to the stage for a cover of Pink Flyod’s “Welcome to the Machine,” followed by a couple of older classics in the form of “Take Hold of the Flame” and “Queen of the Reich” officially closing out the night. All in all, the evening was the perfect double-dose of old school rock and metal that we – and if I had to guess, everyone else in attendance that night – needed.
Geoff Tate and band on stage in Daytona Beach, FL last Thursday, February 29.
I can recall the first time I ever watched 2004’s Napoleon Dynamite some two decades ago, with its subtle, off-the-wall humor striking a nerve with me instantly. I’ve since shown the now-cult classic to both my wife Brooke and son Jacob, who equally appreciate it for the unique moment in time that it was. So catching a twentieth anniversary showing of the film, with the presence of such core cast members as Efren Ramirez (Pedro Sanchez), John Gries (Uncle Rico), and Napoleon Dynamite himself, Jon Heder, at The Plaze Live in Orlando last Wednesday, February 21, was a no-brainer for all of us.
The evening started off promising enough; plenty of fans in attendance had on their best attire, with fanny packs, side pony-tails, and “Vote for Pedro” shirts in abundance. It was near-impossible to not feel the excitement flowing throughout the venue prior to the film, and the applause was infectious by the time the opening credits rolled.
For those who have never seen it before, Napoleon Dynamite follows the day-to-day life of a geeky high school student (Heder as the titular character, as previously noted), who navigates through everything from dating, to assisting his new classmate and friend Pedro (Ramirez) run for class president against the popular school cheerleader, Summer Wheatly (Haylie Duff).
Whether or not the film is “flawless” is no doubt debatable, but nonetheless it certainly draws its viewers into its story, making for sheer escapist entertainment. The ending shot alone of Napoleon and Deb (Tina Majorino) “riding off into the sunset” of sorts while playing tetherball together with the 1989 When in Rome hit “The Promise” closing the scene out is one of pure movie perfection (it should also be noted, the song itself has since become significant to my wife and I, having both heard it live and interviewed When In Rome Keyboardist Michael Floreal on our anniversary in January of 2020).
Jon Heder (a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite) in the midst of the crowd last Wednesday evening, 2/21/24 at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL.
Immediately following the showing, Gries and Ramriez appeared on stage with a guitar and harmonica, respectively, in hand for a musical number, before Heder barreled down a ramp towards the stage on a bike, igniting a roar from the crowd. It was right then and there that you knew you were in the right place if you were in attendance.
Heder was no doubt the leader of the pack, while Ramierz took more of a laid back, backseat approach, and Gries played the more goofy old man role (having grown up watching many of his films back in the day such as ’80s gems like 1985’s Real Genius and 1986’s TerrorVision, I may have been in awe of him more so than any others).
Aside from the occasional awkward question from a fan or two (the fairly obnoxious mom-out-way-past-her-bedtime heckler had obviously not been out in public in awhile), the Q&A with the crowd went fairly smooth, with many an enlightened answer regarding the films production. And bringing those dressed in their very best Napoleon Dynamite-inspired gear on to the stage at the end for a best-dressed contest (and even giving everyone a tater tot on their way out!) was the perfect cherry on top to the evening.
The cast of Napoleon Dynamite (from left to right, Efren Ramirez, Jon Heder, and John Gries) performing at the start of the night at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on 2/21/24.
After fifty solid years, KISS finally called it a day in their own homestate of New York at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday, December 2. No, I did not fly to the Big Apple to catch the farewell gig in person, but I did the next best thing any member of the KISS Army in central, FL could possibly do; took the family to the very house that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley built – Rock and Brews in Oviedo – and watched a pay-per-view showing of it from start to finish right there.
And was it just the same Gene and Paul show it has been for the past two decades with just a few obscure numbers thrown in, and zero appearances or even any mention of past alumni of the band? You bet ya. But it was still a flawless performance from them nonetheless (and as much as I would have loved seeing a reunion with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss take place as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that Gene and Paul are the only members of the band to be there for the entire duration of the past five decades).
After a house recording of Led Zepplin’s “Rock and Roll” died down, the immortal words were uttered for the last time; “You wanted the best, you got the best; the hottest band in the world…KISS!!!” As soon as the curtain dropped, the band was lowered from their platforms and started tearing through “Detroit Rock City” in full force.
“Shout it Out Loud,” “Deuce,” “War Machine,” “Heaven’s on Fire,” “I Love it Loud” (where Simmons briefly breathed fire), “Say Yeah,” and “Cold Gin” started the set list off on more than a promising note for just about any die hard fan before slowing things down for a guitar solo.
Wide shot of the Rock and Brews in Oviedo, FL just before the curtain fell at the final KISS show in New York on 12/2/23.
“Lick it Up” got things back on track nicely, before “Calling Dr. Love,” “Makin’ Love” (featuring a guitar duel between Stanley and guitarist Tommy Thayer), and “Psycho Circus” all followed. A drum solo from Eric Singer was spot on before a bass solo for Simmons (with part of “100,00 Years” thrown in between the two for good measure) lead way to the almighty “God of Thunder,” complete with blood-spitting.
“Love Gun” found Stanley flying above the crowd to a different section of stage per his usual routine, followed by the disco-esque “I Was Made For Loving You,” and one of my absolute favorite KISS tracks ever, “Black Diamond.”
Singer then emerged on stage behind a piano to perform Criss’ classic “Beth” solo for the first part of the encore. Finally, “Do You Love Me” and the timeless rock anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite” officially closed out the night among a sea of confetti. It was a bittersweet moment, punctuated by “God Gave Rock and Roll to You II” as the band made their final exit from the stage.
But what could’ve gone down as a graceful moment, perhaps with video footage representing each any every former member and time period throughout the band’s five decade history, was marred by the introduction of the band’s “new era” – avatars of the guys meant to be the continuation of the band’s legacy, was meant with mixed reactions from fans to say the least.
Was it a good show? Sure, in the technical sense everything was flawless from start to finish. But it wasn’t until after the performance, when Gene Simmons was being interviewed backstage and his children began joining him one at a time, that any real emotion was even really displayed. I will miss being in a world where KISS is still a living, breathing band, but will always be thankful to have existed for at least some of the time they were on this Earth.
