Tesla
February 20, 2019
Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
Tesla brought their gritty roots hard rock spectacle to Atlanta once again. Atlanta has always been a great city for Tesla and this time was no different. The sold-out Buckhead Theater was treated to a full-on assault kicking off with “Comin’ Atcha Live,” which brought the house down. Tesla is a band that always comes out strong and delivers the goods all night long. Along with all the hits, it was great to hear gems like “Be a Man” and the title track of their latest album, “Shock.” It was an amazing night as always and proves just how timeless Tesla is. Their best years are still ahead of them.
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Graveyard/Twin Temple
March 8, 2019
Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Opening the show was the new buzz band on the scene, the Satanic doo-wop sounds of California’s Twin Temple. Twin Temple delivered a fun, roof-raising opening set that had people dancing, smiling, and confused all while hailing Satan to music that sounded like something you’d hear at a ‘60s sock hop.
Graveyard’s return to North America was nothing short of triumphant and had the band playing some of their best shows to date. Kicking things off with “Walk On,” Graveyard proved that they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon with delivering this swift kick to the head. For the rest of the show, Graveyard pulled songs loud and proud from their strongest most driven album to date, Peace such as “Walk On,” “Please Don’t,” and the stellar “Cold Love.” Graveyard was in amazing form and lead vocalist/guitarist Joakim Nilsson even felt so moved that he did a hoedown on stage which brought a roar from the crowd. The band was full of fire and left me exhausted and this was the first of two shows I was seeing. This show was a great reminder of why nobody does this kind of music better than Graveyard.
Oh yeah, and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats played as well.
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Rocklanta
(featuring Lillian Axe, Tora Tora, and Dangerous Toys)
March 30, 2019
Atlanta, GA – Center Stage Theater
The Inaugural Rocklanta Festival brought together some pretty huge names that ruled the underground hard rock/glam metal scene along with some up and coming newer acts. The event spanned over two nights, but I only went to the 2nd night and the bands that stole the show were Lillian Axe, Tora Tora, and Dangerous Toys.
Lillian Axe returned to Atlanta for the first time in ages. This was my first time seeing them since the ’94 Psychoschizophrenia tour. With guitarist Steve Blaze being the only static member, he was joined by original Axe bassist Michael Maxx and new-ish lead vocalist Brian Jones who delivered the classic material with lots of fire and a stage presence that set the bar high for sure. The highlight of the night for me was the stellar “Ghost of Winter” from the band’s Love and War album. It was a real treat to see my old hometown band still doing and doing it really fucking good.
Tora Tora is another band that I hadn’t seen for ages. The last time I saw them was in this very venue back in ’92 on their Wild America tour, so seeing them here again was full circle. Delivering a set that rocked everyone’s faces off, Tora Tora put on a one hour set that left everyone in awe. From classics like “Amnesia” and “Guilt” to brand new songs like “Son of a Prodigal Son” and “Rose of Jericho,” it was obvious that time has been very good to these guys. “Phantom Rider” stole the show completely and left me hoping it’ll be sooner than 20-something years before they come back again.
Dangerous Toys robbed the night from everyone, including the bands I didn’t see the night before. It’s Dangerous Fucking Toys. Who could top that anyway? The last time I had seen Dangerous Toys was in 1994 on the Pissed tour so needless to say, I had been waiting a long time for this moment. The Toys did not disappoint as they came out of the gates swinging with “Gunfighter.” Jason McMaster’s voice sounded as good if not stronger than ever. “Sugar, Leather, & The Nail,” “Queen of the Nile,” and “Teas’n, Pleas’” were just a few classics that made up this juggernaut of a set and the inclusion of a new song called “Hold Your Horses” showed me that the Toys’ bag is still full of tricks.
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Glenn Hughes
April 18, 2019
Atlanta, GA – Center Stage Theater
Glenn Hughes is a living legend, so to finally get to see him live was a dream come true. Delivering a night of Deep Purple classics such as “Burn,” “Stormbringer,” and “You Keep on Moving.” The highlight of the night was the deep cut “Holy Man,” which brought the eye water for sure. After all the years of hard living, it’s amazing this Hughes’ voice is in such top-notch condition. He’s a survivor and he’s thankful for it and as a gift to the fans, he’s putting on some of the best live shows of his career.
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Dream Theater
April 23, 2019
Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
Dream Theater hit the road in 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their legendary Scenes From a Memory album. Dream Theater kicked off the show with a selection of songs from their latest album Distance Over Time, such as “Untethered Angel” and “Barstool Warrior” in addition to the stellar “A Nightmare to Remember.” As always, Dream Theater delivered a visually stunning narration bringing Scenes From a Memory to life and making it an album that connected with me in a much stronger way than it ever had.
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Judas Priest
May 8, 2019
Atlanta, GA – The Fox Theater
Judas Priest returned to Atlanta, and this time around brought there juggernaut metal onslaught to the Fabulous Fox Theater for the first time since the early ‘80s. The vibe in the room was electric and the place was apeshit nuts as The Priest hit us with a mind-blowing set of classics like “Heading Out to the Highway,” “Victim of Changes,” and “Hell Bent for Leather.” This was definitely not a “casual fan” show as they brought out such deep tracks as “The Sentinel,” “Killing Machine,” “All Guns Blazing,” and the stellar “Out in the Cold” which was last played on the band’s Fuel For Life tour back in the ‘80s. This was by far the greatest Priest show that I have seen to date and I can only hope for more indoor shows in the future. This is the way to see Priest without a doubt.
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Brave
August 24, 2019
Washington, DC – Atlas Brew House
Brave has been a favorite band of mine for quite a while, but unfortunately, they’re also a band I don’t get to see live much since the band doesn’t do much touring, if any I decided to pack my shit and go to them! Getting to see Brave on their home turf was mind-blowing. They hit the stage opening with “To Remain Unseen” from the Monuments album and slammed right into “Trapped Inside” from Searching for the Sun. For the next 50 minutes, Brave slayed the crowd with “Electric Ravens,” “Sooner or Later,” and “Hero.” Brave unleashed their amazing cover of the Led Zeppelin classic “Kashmir,” and the crowd loved it. Brave is one of metal’s most overlooked, under-appreciated band and I can only hope that more people will slowly but surely see the greatness that I and many other Brave fans see and hear.
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Jason Bieler
September 21, 2019
Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
Former Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler graced Atlanta once again with an acoustic/storytellers performance that was hands down one of the best I have ever attended. Performing songs that spanned his career. I loved how he re-invented Saigon Kick classics such as “Hostile Youth,” “Coming Home,” and “The Lizard.” Hearing them in such a stripped-down setting showed Jason’s ability to be a chameleon and adapt to any kind of performance setting. My highlight was getting to join Jason on stage with a friend of mine to play “hand kazoos” during the obscure novelty song “My Life.” This was a truly unforgettable performance and one that I can’t wait to see again and again.
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King Crimson
September 29, 2019
Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Center
King Crimson returned to Atlanta for a sold-out show at the gorgeous Cobb Energy Center. Once again, Crimson proved to me why they are the best at what they do. “Neurotica,” “Suitable Grounds for the Blues,” and “Moonchild” were all full-on attacks on all of my senses and the rarity “Cat Food” was amazing to hear live. This lineup of King Crimson is without a doubt my favorite. Lead vocalist Jakko Jakszyk has brought so much to King Crimson and his versatility as a vocalist has allowed Crimson to revisit classic songs that haven’t been played in many years. “Epitaph” and “Starless” are always highlights for me and this time proved no different. King Crimson is at the top of their game and is experience some much-deserved popularity in North America. Go see this band live. Trust me.
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Kadavar/Ruby the Hatchet
December 5, 2019
Atlanta, GA – The Earl
Having never given them an earnest listen, cosmic space rockers Ruby the Hatchet made a huge impact on me with their high energy no-frills live performance. Lead vocalist Jillian Taylor has such a hypnotic stage presence and songs like “Symphony of the Night,” “Killer,” and the stellar “Gemini” were all it took to draw me in and turn me into a fan. This is a band that I will be keeping an eye on for years to come.
Kadavar brought the face rock better than I have ever seen from them in the past. The first time they played in Atlanta, there were about 20 people in the room and this time around The Earl was packed (and maybe even sold out?) with more Kadavar fans than I’ve ever seen in one place. Kadavar has grown over the years and these days they are monsters on the stage putting on a performance that left me exhausted just watching them. Getting to hear new songs from For the Dead Travel Fast such as “The End,” “The Devil’s Master,” and “Evil Forces” was a real treat along with “Demons in My Mind,” “Dancing With the Dead,” “The Old Man,” and closing with the nearly eight-minute epic “Long-Forgotten Song.” Kadavar has become a force to be reckoned with and there is nowhere to go from here but into the stratosphere.
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