Special Edition: The Lynn Family Stadium Gets the Biggest ’80s Weekend Since…The ’80s! By Jesse Striewski

Typically Rewind It Magazine have stayed a fairly regional Florida-based publication, covering events everywhere from Daytona Beach to Tampa/St. Pete since the get-go. However, the upcoming Stadium Rock ’80s Festival in Louisville, KY on August 3rd and 4th is an exception we couldn’t pass up! This event features a killer lineup of ’80s acts (many of which we’ve covered over the years) including Florida rockers and our friends Nova Rex. So this unique occasion called for a special write-up (no matter what the distance might be!)!

Hosted by comedian and beloved metalhead Don Jamieson (formerly of That Metal Show), the event was first announce in May, and will coincide in what the major of Louisville has officially declared as “80s Week” from August 1st to 7th. In addition to live music, the festival will also feature everything from ’80s merchandise, fan zones, trivia, classic arcade games, and even a DeLorean straight out of Back to the Future! Below we provide a detailed break down of each act to play over the course of the festival in consecutive order.

Don Jameison (seen here at The Lynn Family Stadium on May 8) of That Metal Show fame will host the upcoming event this August in Louisville, KY.

Nova Rex:

Going strong since 1985, Nova Rex have been bringing the party with them wherever they go for nearly four decades. Anthems like “Bring the House Down Tonight” and “Turn It Up Loud” will no doubt be heard blaring throughout the stadium to kick things off at the massive festival. Check them out on stage, and in their new documentary, Nova Rex: Ain’t Easy Staying Cheesy.

Kenny Wilkerson, Nova Rex bassist/co-founder and star of the film Nova Rex: Ain’t Easy Stayin’ Cheesy, at The Lynn Family Stadium on Wednesday, May 8.

Pretty Boy Floyd:

Good old Pretty Boy Floyd are one of those bands who emerged from the late ’80s that never lets down. And speaking of Nova Rex, I actually saw both bands live for the first time together on the same bill in Daytona Beach back in 2018. Their hits “Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire)” and the power ballad “I Wanna Be With You” are enough to get any crowd moving no matter the location.

Enuff Z’Nuff:

One of the many bands playing I have still yet to cross off the old bucket list (though I did manage to catch and even meet former guitarist Tony Fennell – who has served two terms with the band since 2016 – at a When In Rome II show in Orlando back in 2020). Yet, hearing such classics as “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle” live has still alluded me all of these years (but hopefully not for much longer!).

Trixter:

Hailing from my home state of New Jersey at the tail end of the wave of ’80s metal, Trixter were notable for such infectious hits as “One In A Million” and “Give It To Me Good,” which no doubt the band will soon unleash on Louisville for sure. Just last year I was able to catch bassist P.J. Farely on stage with Fozzy, and if the rest of the band’s energy is anything like his, they surely will not disappoint!

Ron Keel Band:

In my book, Ron Keel and his band Keel were a criminally underrated act at the height of the ’80s heyday, and I’d still love to catch him live in concert some day. I actually revisited the first couple of Keel albums recently, and there’s a lot of great material still to be found within. Audiences can be sure to hear such classics as “Don’t Say You Love Me” and Keel’s version of “Because the Night” over the course of this rocking weekend!

Vixen:

Without a doubt this is one of the most talked-about acts on the bill right now; after recently announcing via their social media platforms that they had parted ways with singer Lorraine Lewis, Vixen are keeping things extremely “hush hush” about who their new “mystery” vocalist might be. But one thing’s for sure, these ladies will have nothing to worry about as long as they maintain the same dedicated level of high energy they did when Rewind It covered them back in 2019!

Vixen performing in Orlando, FL on 10/30/19 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

John Corabi:

When Motley Crue released their one and only album with John Corabi on vocals in place of Vince Neil in 1994, many fans didn’t quite grasp it at the time…but I was fully there for every minute of it! To this day it remains one of the heaviest albums the Crue have ever put out, and I would love to hear Corabi’s raspy voice singing tracks from both it, and his solo catalog as well. (Side note: if you’ve never actually listened to the self-titled Crue album, start with the track “Hammered;” not only does it feature some of Corabi’s best vocal work ever, but it remains my favorite track from the album to this very day). Aside from his previously-mentioned work with the Crue and solo work, Corabi has also done time with The Scream and Ratt over the years as well (among many others).

L.A. Guns:

What more can be said about L.A. Guns that hasn’t already been said before? Without them, there’d simply be no Guns N’ Roses, and the entire ’80s Sunset Strip scene as a whole might have looked much differently. Earlier this year I was finally able to catch the band live for the first time after many previous missed opportunities, and I can confirm they were definitely worth the wait. Tracks like “Never Enough,” “Rip and Tear,” and “The Ballad of Jayne” are just a few staples of theirs worth noting, and any true fan of ’80s hard rock and heavy metal should try to see the band at least once in their lifetime.

L.A. Guns performing in Mt. Dora, FL on 3/8/24 (Photo by Jacob Striewski).

Aldo Nova:

Here’s one of those unique acts on the bill that often gets overlooked, Aldo Nova. This Canadian guitar virtuoso has been knocking out hits like “Foolin’ Yourself” and “Fantasy” since the early ’80s, and is a must-see for any serious fan of rock guitar. Nova is also an award-winning producer and songwriter who has collaborated with the likes of Blue Oyster Cult to Celine Dion over the years.

Slaughter:

Who wasn’t rocking along to some Slaughter in the late ’80s/early ’90s? It was nearly impossible to escape such anthems as “Up All Night” and “Fly to the Angels,” as well as their track from the 1991 Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack, “Shout It Out Loud” (a completely infectious number!). Mark Slaughter and company have been going strong for a long time now, and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Great White:

Another sorely underrated act, Great White have earned second-billing on the festival bill at The Lynn Family Stadium. Largely remembered for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” the band also has a host of other notable hits in the form of “Save Your Love,” “Rock Me,” and “House of Broken Love” that will surely get fans moving from their seats. I’ve been lucky enough to both see the band live, and even interview former frontman Jack Russell over the years. Definitely make some time for these guys if you haven’t yet by now!

Queensryche:

There’s simply no mistaking the distinctive sound of Queensryche (no matter what era of theirs it might be), nor is there any overlooking the band’s achievements over the years. I’ve been fortunate enough to see the band twice (three times if counting a solo performance by former lead vocalist Geoff Tate just earlier this year) since 2013, even covering the band’s Orlando show for Rewind It back in 2019. From “Queen of the Reich,” “Jet City Woman,” and “I Don’t Believe in Love,” to the timeless power ballad “Silent Lucidity,” there is no shortage of epic music to be heard at any given Queensryche show; don’t pass this one up if you haven’t already seen them before!

Queensryche performing in Orlando, FL on 3/2/19 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

To wrap things up, The Lynn Family Stadium is a state-of-the-art venue primarily used for sporting events. Opened in 2020, it serves as the home for the Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC. The stadium boasts a seating capacity of over 15,000 and features modern amenities, including premium seating options, hospitality suites, and a fan-friendly design. Its central location and advanced facilities make it a prime destination for sports events and concerts, and is located at 350 Adams St., Louisville, Ky. USA.

Geoff Tate and Adrian Vandenberg at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL on 2/29/24 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

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 It Magazine 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 Candlemass frontman 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.

Album Review: Queensryche – Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

Quite a bit has changed in the Queensryche camp since 2019’s The Verdict album; drummer Casey Grillo is now a full time member of the band, and guitarist Mike Stone has since returned after a decade-plus absence. Still intact though is that signature sound the group created well over four decades ago.

Here the guys unleash yet another round of thought-provoking progressive metal true to form. Opener “In Extremis” gives listeners an immediate look at what’s to come from the twelve track album. “Chapters,” Nocturnal Light,” and “Out of the Black” are by far some of the stronger tracks found here, with the single “Behind the Walls” standing out as an instant classic. There’s also a seven minute masterpiece in the form of “Tormentum” that’s undeniably perfect.

“Hold On” is likely to become a staple in the band’s live sets, but is weak in comparison to the previously mentioned other numbers, though does contain a music video that makes interesting social commentary on the digital age (hence the album title). Surprisingly, the band end things with a cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” a curious yet admirable choice to close things out with.

If you’ve already been bit by the Queensryche bug, this shouldn’t be hard for you to get into; even purists who still can’t get past the fact that Geoff Tate is no longer fronting the band might be able to find something worthwhile that’s assembled here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Album Review: Sweet Oblivion Feat. Geoff Tate – Relentless (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

By: Jesse Striewski

Italian-based metal project Sweet Oblivion are back with their second full-length effort to feature original Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate at the forefront, which proves to once again be a winning combonation.

My appreciation for Tate’s work in his former band has only grown over the years, and each track here sounds as though they could’ve come straight from a classic Queesryche record. I knew the second I heard the first single from Relentless, “Another Change,” that this would be a promising album.

“Once Again One Sin” is a fitting opening song, and is quickly followed by the strongest track on the album by far, “Strong Pressure.” Other highlights among the ten tracks here include “Wake up Call,” “Aria” (impressively sung by Tate completely in Italian), and the ballad “I’ll Be the One.”

It’s strange how new, unheard music can seem so familiar upon first listen, but that’s exactly the case here with Relentless; some of the lyrics manage to hit so close to home that they feel like they’ve actually been there with us all along. That is what makes for a good listening experience, which is precisely what Sweet Oblivion have provided listeners with here.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Interview with Ex-Queensryche Vocalist Geoff Tate By Jesse Striewski

There’s no doubt in my mind that Queensryche played an integral part in my own personal life; long before we were married (and formed Rewind It Magazine), Queensryche were the first concert my future wife and I ever officially worked together as a writer/photographer team back in 2013 (and we have since covered an additional one of their shows for Rewind It as well in 2019). But even after watching the band’s current lineup – which is more than competent in it’s own right with current frontman Todd La Torre – it still felt as though something was missing each time we saw them live. That something was of course original vocalist Geoff Tate, who I was more than honored to get the chance to speak to last week via phone.

At the time of our conversation, Tate was in the middle of traveling on the road to his next destination. Tate has indeed kept on the busy side in his post-Queensryche days, writing, recording, and touring either as a solo artist, with Operation: Mindcrime (who he is in the midst of performing the classic Queensryche releases Rage For Order and Empire on the road in their entireties), and most recently, with Sweet Oblivion, who are about to drop their second album featuring Tate at the forefront, Relentless.

One of the first things I wanted to ask Tate was just how he first became involved with the latter Italian metal act. He informed me; “After spending thirty years working with the same people when I was in Queensryche, I was ready for something new. I was talking to Mario at Frontiers (Records) about maybe branching out and doing something different, and collaborate with some new people. A couple of years later he introduced this idea, which was exactly what I wanted really, and introduced me to Simone Mularoni, who we did that first album with. This second record here is lead by Aldo Lonobile, and then we actually have a third one that’s going to be happening too, but I don’t know who’s going to be involved with that yet, so that’s going to be a nice surprise for me.”

I also wanted to know if the first single from Relentless, “Another Change” – which struck me as an extremely personal song – had any specific meaning behind it. He told me; “Well, I don’t really like to explain my music too much, because everyone hears and interprets music differently, typically based on their own experiences. So I like to leave it up to the listener. I have to say though, the album came together nicely. It was a great session despite the fact that we recorded it in different parts of the world.”

Another thing interesting about Relentless is the track “Aria,” which Tate sang completely in Italian. I asked how much of a challenge that was for him to do, and he explained; “Well, I’m really good at ordering off the wine list in a restaurant (laughs), but not so much at conversational Italian. But with the song, I was able to get used to it for awhile first and perfect it, which I think makes the album much more interesting.”

With live concerts slowly beginning to become the norm again, Tate has upcoming tour dates scheduled, including several tour dates in the U.S. beginning in the fall. I inquired what it was like playing live gigs post-Covid, and he explained; “Well, different places have been opening up again at different times with various precautions, and we’re finally picking back up where we unfortunately left off last March, when we were playing the Rage For Order and Empire albums for their respective anniversaries. But I did a show in Florida last December, and I believe that was actually the first live show we had done since last March. Then I did one up in New Hampshire, which was a matinee show. I haven’t done one of those since I think Japan in the early ’80s (where it’s customary to do them), so that was pretty challenging to do at my age (laughs). And then most recently, we did a show in Seattle back in February. But we’ve got U.K. dates starting in June and July, and then we’ll be back in the States again in September. Which I’m not complaining about – I’d much rather stay busy than just sit around!”

And with roughly four decades worth of material to draw from, I was also curious if Tate had any personal favorite tracks in his repertoire to perform live. He replied; “That’s hard to say, I like them all (laughs)! Well, doing the Empire tour that we’re doing now is really pleasurable for me, because this is the first time I’ve gotten to sing and play quite a few of the songs on that record. When the album came out, we only played a certain amount of them live, so now playing the whole album is a real treat, because I’m able to play some of the songs I’ve never played live before.”

As many of you may already know, Tate had a messy split between his most well-known former band in 2012. Before letting him go, I wanted to know if there was at least a chance for him and the other members to ever reconcile on a personal level, if not a professional one. He informed me; “Well, I talked to them a couple years ago. We were both playing the same festival, so I went out early to check them out, because I had not seen them play before. It was kind of a weird scene hearing them play, I felt like I was maybe watching a science experiment or something (laughs). And it was funny too, because I was actually standing backstage talking to someone when I heard Queensryche start to play, and in my subconscious, I thought, ‘Oh, they’re playing one of our songs on the PA or something,’ and then I realized the band was actually playing on the stage (laughs). But when you’ve played with a band for so long, and then see them perform without you, it’s just kind of a strange feeling. But I talked to everyone that was there in the band at that time, and it went well.”

Queensryche and Fates Warning at The Plaza Live on 3/2/19 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

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Unlike other bands from their era simply running off nostalgia (Ratt, Quiet Riot, etc…), bands like Queensryche are still releasing more-than-respectful material, and not relying solely on their past. And while they may still be largely ignored by modern radio these days, bands from said era such as them (along with Iron Maiden and Megadeth, among others), are still just as strong as ever. After catching them live this past weekend for the second time, there’s no denying these bands are still able to pack a house.

Fates Warning have always been somewhat of interest to me, especially since Armored Saint/ex-Anthrax bassist Joey Vera first came aboard. And with a solid lineup that also includes original guitarist Jim Matheos, joined with other longtime members Frank Aresti (guitars) Ray Adler (vocals), and current Sebastian Bach drummer Bobby Jarzombek, I was looking forward to actually seeing what they could do on stage when they opened the first night of this current tour. But for the most part, they focused a tad too heavily on their (not so) new album, 2016’s Theories of Flight, performing “From the Rooftops,” “Seven Stars,” and “The Light and Shade of Things.” The furthest the band even went in their own catalog was “Life in Still Water” from 1991. While it’s understandable they had limited time to work with (only able to squeeze in eight tracks) this is one case where it would have been nice if they dug just a little further back in time (at the very least 1988’s “Silent Cries” should have still found its way in the set list somewhere).

And finally, Queensryche took over. The last time my wife/photographer and I saw them live, they were still touring for their first album with current vocalist Todd La Torre in 2013. Since then, the band has released a couple of more albums, and were not swayed from playing material from any of them (despite knowing many likely still come to hear their Geoff Tate-era hits). One thing’s for sure, their stage/light show has definitely improved over time. However, it was somewhat disappointing to see original drummer Scott Rockenfield was not on board this time around, though Kamelot’s Casey Grillo filled in just fine.

Opening with “Blood of Levant,” the band continued with mostly newer tracks such as “I am I,” “Man the Machine,” and “Condition Human,” but managed to throw one from their debut album, “N M 156” in there before finally breaking out with one of their signature “classics” (“Queen of the Reich”) six tracks in. “Selfish Lives,” “Open Road,” “Light-Years,” and “Eyes of the Stranger” all followed before the band took a quick reprieve.

It didn’t take long for the band to come back with a trio of their most well-known hits for their encore, including their biggest (and in my book, extremely overrated) power ballad “Silent Lucidity,” as well as “Jet City Woman,” and finally “Empire.” I say it all of the time; if ever you doubt the ability of a band that’s been around as long as Queensryche, wait to see them live before judging. These guys have been going strong since 1980, and it’s clear they don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.