Photos By Brooke Striewski

I really hadn’t planned on taking two back-to-back weekend trips to the Tampa/St. Pete area after having just traveled with the fam to the west coast the weekend prior for the Megadeth-spinoff band Kings of Thrash. But literally just two nights prior to the show, the wife and kid surprised me when they said they had won tickets from local rock station WJRR for the Stephen Pearcy/Warren DeMartini of Ratt fame show at the Ferg’s Concert Pavilion in St. Pete, FL on Friday, October 17. And hence, another Rewind It Magazine road show was born.

While initially hesitant about making the drive down there again so soon, it turned out to be a much better experience than the last show, with Pretty Boy Floyd – who Rewind It have covered two shows for now (one as far back as 2018, and another as recent as just two months ago this past August) were the first band we were fully able to catch (we arrived just as the first opening act, Permacrush, were finishing up, and I cannot give an honest assessment of them), and while I’ll try not to dwell on my medical issues here again, but will just say I was beyond relieved to see we had actual seats for the show (and the venue was a noticeable upgrade in comparison to some of the more recent ones we’ve visited as well).

My always reliable (and beautiful) wife/photographer Brooke instantly sprung into action while I hung back with our son (and sometimes secondary photographer) Jacob who, for the first time ever, had his girlfriend Em along for the ride with us this time as well. And with legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley having just passed the day prior, there were plenty images of the late musician’s face adorning many a fans’ t-shirts that night (yours truly included), and of course some mentions of him from some of the bands that night, too.

Pretty Boy Floyd performing at the Ferg’s Concert Pavilion in St. Pete, FL on 10-17-25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

But I digress, Pretty Boy Floyd took the stage with a fury as always, with “Your Mama Won’t Know” paving way for more classics like their cover of Motley Crue’s “Toast of the Town,” “48 Hours,” and “Rock n’ Roll Outlaws.” At one point frontman Steve Summers – always the showman – teased a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” with the rest of the band before announcing “We don’t do that one!,” before ending their set with the one-two punch of “I Wanna Be with You” and “Rock n’ Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire).”

I’ve known of the next act, Enuff Z’ Nuff, for as long as I can remember, though I cannot say I was ever much of a fan (their sound has always been a bit too “out there” and soft for my taste to be honest). But alas, we watched as Chip Z’Nuff and company went through tracks like “The World is a Gutter,” “Baby Loves You,” “Heavy Metal,” “Jet” (Paul McCartney cover), “Fly High Michelle,” and “New Thing.” After their set, I can say I could at least understand their like-ability a bit more than I had beforehand.

Enuff Z’Nuff performing at the Ferg’s Concert Pavilion in St. Pete, FL on 10-17-25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

It was at this point that the story really gets interesting. Thinking we had some time in between acts to make it back before Trixter hit the stage, Brooke and I wandered off for a bit. In our travels we briefly ran into Enuff Z’ Nuff co-founder/bassist/vocalist Chip Z’Nuff, and Pretty Boy Floyd’s Steve Summers and Jake Curtis Allard (always great seeing them!). But it was what came next that really took us both by surprise.

The thought did not even occur to me that local St. Pete rocker Todd La Torre of Queensryche might be on hand that night. But alas, a chance encounter found us briefly chatting with the lead singer/former drummer right then and there, and neither of us could believe it (It should be noted, Brooke and I had previously reviewed/photographed a Queensryche show for Rewind It back in 2019, as well as gone to see them at our first major show together when we were still just starting to date in early 2013, so the history is definitely there for us).

Rewind It’s Jesse Striewski (left) with Queensryche frontman Todd La Torre at Ferg’s in St. Pete, FL on 10-17-25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

By the time we got back to our seats, we saw members of Trixter still on stage, which we thought were still just setting up their equipment. It turns out though, they were actually breaking it down – our adventures mingling actually caused us to miss their set entirely. While disappointing at first, in the end, it was worth it to have the experiences that we did in the interim (we were also informed after the fact that Trixter’s set was also apparently cut short, which no doubt contributed to this).

And finally, the band everyone had come to see above all else – which features core Ratt members Stephen Pearcy (vocals) and Warren DeMartini (guitar), as well as alumni Carlos Cavazo (guitar/also former Quiet Riot) and Matt Thorne (early Ratt bassist from ’81-’82 and also former Rough Cutt), and ex-Slaughter drummer Blas Elias rounding things out – finally took the stage (not before some Spinal Tap-esque issues with the sound causing them to be a few minutes late at first), coming out swinging with their signature opener, “Wanted Man.”

A cover of “Walkin’ the Dog” followed before “I Want a Woman,” “Slip of the Lip,” “Body Talk,” “Lovin’ You’s a Dirty Job,” “I’m Insane,” “Nobody Rides For Free,” “Way Cool, Jr.,” “Lack of Communication,” and “Lay It Down” all kept the momentum going.

Stephen Pearcy performing at Ferg’s Concert Pavilion in St. Pete, FL on 10-17-25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

Somewhere along the way, Pearcy teased doing “a love song that they don’t play very often,” alluding to their oft-forgotten 1990 minor hit “Givin’ Yourself Away,” which I would’ve loved to have actually heard them perform (the two times I saw Ratt previously they shy-ed away from doing it then as well). But in typical Ratt fashion, the song was nixed, with Pearcy proclaiming “Here’s your love song!” at the start of “You’re In Love.”

By that point, there really was not much left to do other than unleash the big guns with “Back For More” and “”Round and Round,” which of course drew the biggest responses from the crowd. While Pearcy’s chops might not be what they once were, the band on stage that night was undoubtedly tighter than any other lineup of theirs I had seen previously, noticeably improving since the last time the Mrs. and I caught them in Orlando back in 2017. Is it perfect? Of course not…but that’s just rock n’ roll baby!

Great White and Slaughter at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on 8/23/25 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

Nearly a decade ago now, I was able to catch Jack Russell’s Great White in Daytona (with fellow ’80s acts FireHouse and Bobby Blotzer’s Ratt) back in late 2016. It was an exceptionally fun October night that I now hold even more dearly in my memories since Russell’s passing last year.

So when I heard that the current lineup of Great White would be heading to the Hard Rock Live Orlando (with direct support from Slaughter), I knew I had to finally catch the original version of the band live after all these years (you may also recall my recent interview with founding guitarist Mark Kendall last month where we also spoke about the show).

I’m happy to report that this latest incarnation of the band – which has seen its share of frontmen come and go since Russell’s tenure and leading up to current lead singer Brett Carlisle – are indeed doing the band’s legacy justice (despite being a tad on the “safe” side while live now).

After indulging (just a tad) at the next door Hard Rock Cafe with the family/usual suspects (the wife Brooke and son Jacob, each photographers), we were in the venue with ample time to catch openers Slaughter, who were surprisingly one of the few bands still left from their era that I had yet to see live.

The band came out with guns a-blazin’, opening with the fiery “Mad About You,” and it was instantly clear it was worth the wait all these years for Slaughter. Two more tracks from the band’s 1990 debut album followed in the form of “Burnin’ Bridges” and “Spend My Life” before “Unknown Destination” took things in another direction.

Slaughter bassist Dana Strum (left) and vocalist Mark Slaughter gave it everything they had this past Saturday night at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando. (Photo by Brooke Striewski)

“Eye to Eye,” “Days Gone By,” and “Real Love” all followed before the lighters (or more accurately these days, cell phones) came out for the timeless power ballad “Fly to the Angels.” This of course paved way for their epic anthem “Up All Night,” which had the crowd pumping their fists to the very last note. But the guys still had a little life left in them, and jammed out to a section of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” before they fully wrapped things up

And finally, Great White hit the stage just after 9:30pm. Opening with the modest “Desert Moon” (honestly not one of my favorites from them) before things getting kicked up a notch via “Lady Red Light” and “Stick It” (The latter of which much more up my alley and one of my personal favorites. Also to note, I heard a much older fan beside me shout “You were just a baby!” during its introduction, and I’m still not sure if she was referring to me, or possibly Carlisle on stage).

Things slowed down yet again for the more blues-ly numbers “Rollin’ Stoned” and “House of Broken Love,” as well as the first power ballad of their set, “The Angel Song.” “Mista Bone,” “Gonna Getcha,” and “Big Goodbye” each kept the momentum going.

Great White frontman Brett Carlisle (left) in the moment with guitarist/co-founder Mark Kendall at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL this past Saturday, 8-23-25. (Photo by Brooke Striewski)

Before we knew it, the night was already winding down as the band launched into one of their most well-known tender tracks, “Save Your Love.” And at last, one of the greatest ’80s hard rock/glam/hair metal anthems of all time, “Rock Me,” followed before the band called it a day with their signature Ian Hunter cover, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”

Leading up to the show, I saw some negative online comments, criticizing the band for still going without “most” of their original members. Not only is it impossible to do when at least two of your said original members have since passed away, but as I explained to my son, whatever the current version of the band may be, these groups are still keeping the music itself alive as best as they can, and I’ll still take what I can get over nothing at all (just look at the recent major loss to the music world with Ozzy Osbourne, for example), and I’ve got nothing bad to say about the current versions of neither Great White, nor Slaughter.

Interview with Great White Guitarist Mark Kendall By Jesse Striewski

When it comes to elite rock/metal guitarists, there’s typically a select few that come to mind for most, whether it be Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Joe Perry, or the late, great, Eddie Van Halen. But for my money Great White lead guitarist Mark Kendall has always deserved a spot at the table nearby these greats, and the band he co-founded more than four decades ago now has been fairly underrated in many of the annals of rock history (at least in my opinion).

So when I had the chance to speak to Kendall from his home via phone this past Tuesday, July 15 ahead of Great White’s upcoming Orlando date at the Hard Rock Live on Saturday, August 23 (which Rewind It Magazine will also be there to cover), I was both completely prepared for it, and elated.

I was glad to hear that I was the first interview of the day for him as we each settled in for our morning (or in my case in the time zone I’m in, early afternoon) cups of coffees. One of the first things I asked was when the last time the band had hit the central, FL market, to which he replied, “I’m not really sure. I know we played some shows in Ft. Lauderdale, FL last year, but as far as Orlando itself I don’t think we’ve been there for awhile, so we’re pretty excited to be returning.”

He continued; “We used to play the Spring Break programs with MTV and at one point were kind of like the back up band playing on the beach, so a lot of memories there in that sense. Just Florida in general has always been a great experience with the best fans for us.”

Flyer for upcoming Great White/Slaughter show at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Saturday, August 23.

Great White have been more or less knocking out shows across the U.S. since the start of 2025 with various bands (namely current tour mates Slaughter), so I was curious what some of the highlights have been on the tour so far. He informed me; “We played kind of a small area called Elko, NV recently and the fans were just crazy, and it was really a good show! Since we don’t tour like we did back in the day on a bus where we’re gone from home and touring for like a year and a half, we’ll just go out and play maybe one or two shows then go back home, so there’s a lot more flying involved now. But the fun part about it though is getting to play with a lot of bands we never played with before back in the day that we respect like Styx and REO Speedwagon. So we’re meeting these guys that we knew from afar but never really knew personally, so that’s kind of fun.”

Kendall furthered his point; “And we basically grew up with our fans, so it’s fun to see fans from back then still rocking, and the new generations that come along with them, too. A lot of times like with our parents, the music was so far removed from what we were listening to as teenagers that we couldn’t really relate to their music. But with the parents of today that our introducing their kids to our stuff and the like, I think most of them realize ‘Hey, these guys rock pretty hard!'”

I was wondering how far back the band’s history with said tour mates Slaughter went, and he told me; “We have a lot of history with Slaughter! For one thing they’re on the same agency as us. We never toured with them per se, but I’ve known Mark (Slaughter, vocalist) since he was about nineteen when he was with Vinnie Vincent (in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion), so we’re pretty good friends. When we play together we always have a great night, and I think we give the fans their money’s worth.”

With a catalog that spans thirteen full studio albums, I was curious as to what songs he looked forward to playing the most each night, as well as any tracks from the vault he might possibly like to unearth someday. He told me; “Well, I like what they call the ‘deep cuts,’ you know songs that weren’t really on the radio maybe as much as some of the others (or at all). One thing I also like is when we maybe extend jams because we don’t really know what’s going to happen with those, so you know that makes it kind of exciting. Of course I still like playing “Rock Me” because it creates a lot of memories for me.”

He continued his thoughts further; “When you finish an album and the record company comes down to the studio, you kind of look at them to see how they’re reacting, and I remember them getting real excited when they first heard that song (“Rock Me”). It was our first really big hit, and it was our third album! Before that we had to grind it out, and went out and toured with Judas Priest, Whitesnake, and Europe for our first album. And when we came home, the record company wasn’t that excited, so they dropped us off the label! So now we have no record deal, no money, and we had just toured for almost a year and now we’ve got to start over? I mean how tough is this business?” (Laughs)

Kenndall explained some more; “So then we made our second record on our own by borrowing money and got a hit on a L.A. radio station, which was enough to get the attention of Capitol Records. They ended up coming down to see the band play, and now we’ve got our second opportunity, so now we’ve got to get it right! To get a second chance is a miracle, but we didn’t think a third chance was going to happen, so to come out with our third album and a song that excited a big label like Capitol like that was truly a wonderful situation. So we got our first big hit and sold a million records! (Laughs) And we’ve played that song a lot now, but it’s always for a different audience, and it’s always a nice feeling with all of those memories attached to it.”

He wrapped up his thoughts by saying; “This year we’ve pulled out some songs that we maybe haven’t played in twenty-five years. We’re playing “Stick It” in the set now, which is from our very first album. And even though it didn’t do too well at the time, we gained a fanbase, so it wasn’t a waste of time or like we were going out on those early tours totally cold. But believe it or not, when we change just two or three songs in the set list, it gives the set a whole new look just by doing that. We try to grab something from as many albums as we can, but we can easily get thirteen or fourteen songs in with a ninety minute set.”

While most people were busy tossing their VHS collections as soon as they went out of style, I continued to expand my own with anything and everything ‘old school’ I could find. One such film was 1987’s Maid to Order with the baby-faced Ally Sheedy, which also featured a brief appearance from Great White at a party scene as a backing band called the Loaded Blanks (which I honestly did not catch on to until maybe a few years back). So of course I had to pick Kendall’s brain a little on what that experience was like, and he filled me in; “It was a medium that we weren’t really used to (movie-making), so that was a lot of fun to be a part of. We played the backing band for the maid played by Merry Clayton, who’s actually a kick-ass singer!”

He continued; “We learned a few things along the way, and there were these guys on the crew who kept sneaking this little frog somewhere in every scene, but not telling the director! So you can watch the movie and be like, ‘Look there’s that frog!’ (Laughs) And the extras that played our roadies in our scenes were crazy! We would go out to the garage and be snipping on a bottle of whiskey with them after we had just got done talking with Ally Sheedy in the kitchen (Laughs), so it was a lot of fun.”

He continued; “And back then we were also in the Joe Piscopo special for HBO where we played the backing band while he played Frank Sinatra. And I came jumping threw the air while playing the solo and he said ‘Marvelous and wonderful guitar!’ (Laughs) So it was just a blast.”

Back in 2019, I was also able to speak with former Great White singer, the late Jack Russell for Rewind It Magazine, and I asked him a similar question at the time as one from earlier regarding what songs really affected him while performing live the most, to which he answered the power ballad “Save Your Love” was a very emotional/spiritual experience for him. I asked Mark if he felt somewhat similar while performing it, to which he stated; “For me it’s a great memory because I was working with a guy named Stephen who was in the band briefly on guitar and keyboards before Michael Lardie joined. We wrote that song and it was almost all Stephen’s music, and I kind of changed it around to be an acoustic song, but we didn’t use it until later. And Stephen passed away a few years ago, so that’s kind of a fond memory for me.”

He went on; “That’s cool that it was emotional for Jack. For me, it wasn’t a huge hit, but when we played arenas, every Bic lighter was going (Laughs). So with our fans that like our band, it was a hit to them. I don’t know if I’m as emotionally attached to it as Jack was – maybe the song meant something to him with a girlfriend or a wife or somebody in his life perhaps. But it was a nice song, and every band had their own ballad of sorts back in the day.”

Regarding Jack Russell, who left us nearly a year ago now last August, Kendall elaborated with hindsight; “We were the best of friends and did everything together. He had gotten into some trouble maybe three or four months after I first met him, so I had to start a band (Dante Fox) from scratch and even had a chick singer at first until he was able to get out, and then we took him over the singer we had and things kind of developed from there.”

He continued further; “A lot of the memories from when we first met, being at his parents house with these huge dreams – we were doing interviews like you and I are doing right now with cassette players acting like we had made it. (Laughs) We used to pretend like we were playing the Forum, and then we ended up actually playing it. All the stuff we dreamed about we really believed it. And it all happened, so that’s pretty surreal.”

Kendall ended his thoughts by saying; “We were very close. I don’t think we ever had a single argument our entire careers, but it’s just unfortunate that addiction is what separated us. It wasn’t anything personal, and I still loved him to death. But when we separated, I just wanted him to get well and come back to be the best, most kick-ass Jack Russell possible. And although it didn’t really happen that way, that does not take away decades of us touring the world, and all of the shared memories we had together. I’m not going to let addiction take that away from me, because those were just awesome years, man.”

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.

Retrospective: 20 Years Since Mark Wahlberg Became a ‘Rock Star’ By Jesse Striewski

Few fictional ‘rock’ flicks have ever perfectly captured the essence of sex, drugs, and rock and roll as well as 2001’s Rock Star. Tagged with the line “The story of the wanna be, who got to be,” its source inspiration was drawn from the real life fairy tale of Tim “Ripper” Owens, who landed the dream job as frontman for heavy metal legends Judas Priest after being discovered singing the band’s material in a cover band.

Directed by Stephen Herek, the film uses this idea to tell the story of Chris “Izzy” Cole (Mark Wahlberg), who goes from singer for a Steel Dragon cover act, to the real deal almost overnight. He instantly feels all of the highs and lows going from obscurity to the big leagues, with many of his personal relationships ultimately straining as a result, including his romance with girlfriend/manager Emily Poule (Jennifer Aniston).

Having previous experience as lead singer for Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Wahlberg pulls off playing Cole like a pro. He’s surrounded by more ‘real life’ musicians throughout the film, with guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society), bassist Jeff Pilson (Dokken), and drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin) making up the rest of the lineup of the fictional Steel Dragon.

The author (left) with former Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens in 2019. Owens inspired the plot of *Rock Star*.

Outside of Steel Dragon, there’s use of many other notable musicians in the film; Slaughter drummer Blas Elias, Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy, and even one time L.A. Guns/future Steel Panther lead singer Ralph Saenz (a.k.a. Michael Star – see photo below) all pop up at one point or another. There’s even an homage of sorts to the 1984 classic This is Spinal Tap, when the band is seen photographed on the same rooftop featured in said film.

Aside from featuring many original songs by the likes of KISS, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard (among many others) throughout, it also contains a number of covers re-imagined as Steel Dragon originals, such as the Steelheart track “We All Die Young.” And while the other members of the fictional outfit perform on these songs, oddly, Wahlberg does not sing on them. Instead the vocal duties are handled by Steelheart vocalist Miljenko Matijevic, and one-time Journey singer Jeff Scott Soto.

Making under $20 million on a $50-plus million dollar budget, Rock Star fell short of making the impression filmmakers had hoped it would; this could likely be attributed to the fact it was released just days before the September 11 terrorist attacks. Still, the film has since maintained a life of its own among fans, and remains a go-to, rags-to-riches rock journey to this day.

Steel Panther performing live in 2013; vocalist Michael Star makes a brief appearance in the film (photo courtesy of the author’s personal collection).

The Beautiful Bastards at The Alley in Sanford, FL on 11/28/20 Words By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

The third and final show Rewind It Magazine made an appearance for this past Saturday, November 28, was none other than local cover act, The Beautiful Bastards. It was the only fitting ending to an already epic evening in Sanford that began with a Tiffany show at Buster’s Bistro in downtown, was bridged by an outdoor concert from The Original Wailers at Executive Cigar, before finally finishing things up at The Alley.

As some of you may recall, we have covered shows from The Beautiful Bastards in the past, as well as even interviewed drummer Timothy DiDuro (formerly of Skid Row/Slaughter/the Vince Neil band) earlier this year. On this particular night, the band – which is of course rounded out by the talents of vocalist/bassist Rick Navarro (formerly of the Pat Travers Band) and guitarist Dean Aicher (formerly of ex-Bad Company singer Brian Howe’s solo band), were once again firing on all cylinders.

Upon arrival, the boys were just closing out their first set with a cover of the Queens of Stone Ages’ “No One Knows” before taking a breather. We were able to briefly catch up with a couple of the guys (Tim and Rick) from the band during the intermission, and they both seemed as pumped up as ever to be out playing live again during these strange times. But the absolute icing on the cake came just minutes after when, my wife/photographer, Brooke, pointed out that none other than Tiffany herself was in the bar as well – and seated right behind us! It was an absolute thrill to finally meet her, and for the night to come full circle in such a way.

After the excitement, the band returned to the stage with a mammoth version of Led Zepplin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” before launching into a fury of classic rock numbers that also included Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar,” The Who’s Behind Blue Eyes,” Alice in Chains’ “Nutshell,” The Beatles’ “Helter Skeltor,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” before finally ending things with a raucous version of Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.”

After eight months since last covering a live event (which was Overkill at the House of Blues in Orlando last March), Saturday’s trio of shows was a much-needed jolt back into the music scene that was without a doubt one for the books. And if you haven’t already caught the ‘Bastards live for yourselves, be sure to check the band’s FB/social media sites for show dates near you!

Interview with Drummer Timothy DiDuro By Jesse Striewski/Photo By Brooke Striewski

Timothy Diduro

For nearly three decades, Timothy DiDuro has been bashing the skins for bands all over the central, FL area and beyond. After a brief gig drumming for Skid Row in early 2004, he went on to play with Slaughter for seven years as their touring drummer, before also blasting out Motley Crue hits as a member of Vince Neil’s solo band (much like another ex-Skid Row drummer Rewind It Magazine has interviewed in the past had done, DiDuro’s predecessor in Skid Row, Phil Varone).

DiDuro keeps things a little more locally these days, lending his talents to the metal act Rising Up Angry, as well as cover supergroup The Beautiful Bastards, an act that Rewind It Magazine was also on hand to see perform live in DeLand last year (which is also what this article’s photo is from). Timothy has almost single-handely taken on another new project in the form of JettRacer, a creative outlet that finds him also singing and playing guitar in addition to playing the drums, with Seether bassist Corey Lowery being the only other musician involved in the mix.

I was recently able to speak to Timothy, and one of the first things I wanted to know was about his brand new project with Lowery, which he tells me, “A few years back, I started writing and stockpiling my own material after years of being a ‘hired gun’ drummer. I was working with a guy named Zach Vick at the time, who had a studio and basically able to go there and do some pre-production, as well as write a bunch of material myself. I sat on a lot of the stuff for awhile, but then the whole thing with Corey came about when I decided to reach out to him one day and tell him I had this material that I’d like to work with him on as possibly a producer. He was instantly up for it, so I sent him a couple of tracks, and he happened to pick the track “It’s Not the End” (which you can also check out right now on YouTube) to re-work with me, and it turned out great. I thought the timing to release this single would be perfect, not only because of the state of the world and how we’re living right now, but I thought it might actually be something somewhat inspiring. Brandon Goldthwaite also did such an amazing job producing the video.”

He goes on to elaborate regarding stepping out from behind the drum set to the microphone/songwriter’s seat and says, “It’s not what people normally expect from me musically, but I just kinda wanted to do something on my own, so I just kept pushing myself to do it. There are guys out there who have went from drummers to writers, and I always found that inspiring.” I also asked what was in store for the future of JettRacer, and Timothy tells me, “I haven’t even really thought about a live, physical band yet, but like I said, I have a stockpile of material, and I’m going to absolutely continue writing.”

DiDuro also informs me that once things blow over in these current quarantined conditions that he will definitely be picking back up with his other projects, such as The Beautiful Bastards, saying, “I just enjoy playing with those guys so much, we always have a great time together.” He also says there should be more stuff to look out for in the near future from Rising Up Angry, another local outfit he had previously gotten involved with shortly before the days of social distancing.

And I’m not sure what kind of Skid Row fan I would be if I didn’t ask at least one question regarding how DiDuro did time in one of the biggest bands to ever emerge out of my home state of New Jersey; “I basically got a phone call from a drummer friend of mine, Will Hunt from Evanescence, and he’s the one who pretty much put me in that driver’s seat and basically told the band about me…so kudos to Will (Laughs)! It was super brief to be honest with you, though. I didn’t really have a lot of time to do my homework, and they had a full world tour booked, so I think a lot of that really came down on me. I ended up doing just a couple shows and videos with them, and ironically enough when I ended up being with Slaughter, we ended up doing a lot of co-headlining shows together! So for years and years I was actually able to still hang out and see them play, and they’re still friends of mine to this day.”

You can check out the video for DiDuro’s new track here;

The Beautiful Bastards at OB’s Restaurant & Lounge on 9/7/19 By Jesse Striewski/Photo By Brooke Striewski

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It’s not often we feature a cover artist or band here at Rewind It Magazine. But when the group happens to consist of rock royalty such as former Brian Howe (Bad Company) guitarist Dean Aicher, former Skid Row/Slaughter drummer Timothy DiDuro, and former Pat Travers Band bassist Rick Navarro (who has also shared the stage with the likes of Steven Tyler and the late Eddie Money), we’ll make an exception for the likes of The Beautiful Bastards.

Immediately upon arriving at O.B’s in DeLand this past Saturday, September 7, one could here the unmistakable chords from a familiar Beatles song. After taking a seat at the bar, my assistant/photographer/wife and I were instantly greeted with a warm welcome from the friendly bar keep, and after just one quick look around, it was apparent we were in the right kind of establishment.

Some members of the crowd even danced as the band ripped through tracks like Free’s “All Right Now,” Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar,” Led Zepplin’s “Dancing Days,” The Who’s “Squeeze Box” and “Behind Blue Eyes,” The Beatles’ “Come Together,” and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” before taking a break. Unfortunately, parenting duties caused us to call it a night earlier than expected for us, and we were unable to hang around for the band’s next set afterwards. But still, it was the perfect excuse for a night out filled with classic rock music (even if it was only for a short time).

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