{"id":18452,"date":"2019-06-10T14:11:18","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T18:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=18452"},"modified":"2019-06-10T14:45:21","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T18:45:21","slug":"long-live-rock-roll-dio-returns-to-atlanta-with-some-old-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=18452","title":{"rendered":"Long Live Rock & Roll: Dio Returns to Atlanta with Some Old Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over two years ago, just the mention of a Dio Hologram tour had me wanting to beat myself to death with my own shoes.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a travesty!\u201d \u201cThey\u2019re tarnishing the legacy of Dio!\u201d \u201cHis bandmates should know better.\u00a0 Why are they even behind this?\u201d I was angry, I was intrigued, I was angry that I was intrigued, I was defensive, I was hurt. I even wrote an article on my disapproval of this whole idea which can be read HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It got to the point where longtime guitarist\/best friend of Ronnie\u2019s, Craig Goldy, tried to argue his case on Facebook with me.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, at some point, Craig sent me a private message that said, \u201cDon, please call me at\u2026\u201d \u00a0Shit. Is Craig going to tear me a new asshole and ban from all future Dio-related projects? Is he friends with Sebastian Bach? But who am I kidding? I\u2019m not going to turn the opportunity to talk to Dio\u2019sformer right-hand man. \u00a0I called Craig and was prepared to stand my ground.<\/p>\n

I was greeted with a really kind, warm voice that said, \u201cDon, I\u2019m glad you called.\u00a0 It\u2019s easier to talk than to type.\u201d\u00a0 For the next two hours, Craig would ask about me, what Ronnie meant to me as a young dude, and what his legacy meant to me now.\u00a0 Craig, in turn, would share amazing stories about his time with Ronnie, things he would say, and the things he would do for his fans.\u00a0 It was a very moving and emotional conversation that eventually brought us both to tears and, much like Ronnie would\u2019ve loved to see, brought us together as friends.<\/p>\n

Still, at the end of the call, I told Craig that I still didn\u2019t agree with this idea at all and he told me, \u201cDon, if this tour ever makes it to Atlanta, please come out and be my guest.\u00a0 I want you to see it before you pass judgment.\u00a0 If you see it and you feel something, please share it, if you don\u2019t like it, share that too but at least come to your conclusion after seeing it for yourself\u201d.\u00a0 That, to me, was a very fair offer so I agreed\u2014I mean, come on, when Dio\u2019s best friend asks you be his guest at a show and says it\u2019s ok to write a snarky review about it, you don\u2019t say no!<\/p>\n

During the European leg of the Dio Returns tour, I was hearing mixed messages just as I thought I would.\u00a0 I did notice, however, that many of the \u201chate\u201d comments were from people who didn\u2019t attend the shows.\u00a0 Those that did attend the show had great things about it.\u00a0 They called it emotional, moving, and an unforgettable experience.\u00a0 I called it bullshit.\u00a0 How can a hologram move anyone?<\/p>\n

Sometime in late March or so it was announced that the Dio Returns tour would be hitting North American shores and there was a June 3rd<\/sup> date set for Atlanta at Center Stage Theater.\u00a0 Craig messaged me and assured me that he\u2019d want me there and, as I said before, I took him up on it but reminded him that I would be honest regardless of our friendship.\u00a0 He accepted that and I forged forward waiting for the date to get here.<\/p>\n

The Dio Returns tour would feature long time band mates\/friends of Ronnie\u2019s such as Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums, Scott Warren on the keys, and Dio Disciples bassist Bjorn Englen.\u00a0 The tour would also feature two guest singersthat also happened to be two of my favorite singers: Oni Logan (Lynch Mob\/Dio Disciples) and Tim \u201cRipper\u201d Owens (Judas Priest\/Iced Earth).\u00a0 It was also reported that the stage production would be of epic proportions, just like Ronnie would have liked it to be.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to lie to you, the closer the tour got to Atlanta, I found myself getting excited. I was going to meet Craig Goldy, my all-time favorite Dio guitarist. But I was also nervous\u2014I mean, there was a good chance I was going to have to write that I hated the show. You fartheads know that even a friendship with Craig Goldlycan\u2019t keep me from spewing my Brainfart honesty. I purposefully didn\u2019t tell more than a few close friends that I was going so that I didn\u2019t get there with negative thoughts\u2014I mean, more negative than I already thought!<\/p>\n

Upon entering the venue, I did something I rarely do these days; I headed straight for the barricade and staked out my spot.\u00a0 Luckily I had just missed Love\/Hate as they were a band I tended to lean towards the \u201chate\u201d side.\u00a0 I believe Center Stage Theater holds somewhere near 1,000 people and I\u2019ll say that there were maybe 300 or so.\u00a0 They actually had the sides of the theater curtained off which made sense because unless you are looking head on or slightly to the side, you wouldn\u2019t be able to see the hologram.<\/p>\n

As I waited for the show to start, to my right were these two guys who looked like they were fresh out of high school.\u00a0 I struck up a conversation with one of them and asked how he was feeling about the show.\u00a0 \u201cDio is one of my all time favorites.\u00a0\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t old enough to see him when he was alive so this is my chance to see it done in a pretty cool way.\u201d\u00a0 When I asked if he was bothered that it was a hologram, he laughed and said, \u201cIf I was, I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d\u00a0 Fair enough, wee lad!<\/p>\n

The house lights went down and the Stonehenge like LED screens lit up with visuals.\u00a0 Dio\u2019s now famed live intro to \u201cSacred Heart\u201d appeared on the screen and the place went nuts.\u00a0 The band took their positions and kicked things off with \u201cKing of Rock and Roll.\u201d\u00a0 The visuals were nothing less than astonishing and then all of the sudden,Dio himself manifested from a ball of fire and starts singing.<\/p>\n