Oh, what a miserably humid day this was. There was a threat of rain all day, but it held off, and the clouds kept it from getting too hot, at least. I really wonder how these bands find such out-of-the-way locations. It wasn’t as bad as the last road trip we took - we actually saw a sign for a moonshine festival on that one - but it was out there. But our trusty GPS got us there in time. Although I had permission to photograph from all three bands, I had no idea if there was a “pit” or if I would have to shoot from the crowd. My contact never called me back so I could ask that question. When I stopped at will-call to pick up my stuff, the lady only gave me a couple of tickets, so I feared the worst. After getting into the venue, however, I saw that there was a pit, and tickets probably weren’t going to get me in it. I spoke to security, they did some checking, and sure enough, there should have been an actual photo pass at will-call. So, with 10 minutes to go before showtime, I hoofed it back and told the lady that there should be something else there for me. She insisted that she had given me everything with my name on it, because they always put all of that stuff in one envelope. I was really trying not to get upset, and while I was arguing with her, a guy came up behind her and asked my name. I gave it, and he reached back on the counter, grabbed an envelope and handed it to the lady to give to me. My pass. Everything in one envelope, huh?
Well, I get back to the pit with minutes to spare. I said “Hi” to my friend, Greg, and his friend, Teri, checked my camera and tried to catch my breath. All I can say, is thank goodness for these small, rural venues, because there were only a few photographers. That left me plenty of room to roam around and get different angles. Unfortunately, the glare of the hazy sun made for some difficult conditions initially. One disclaimer - unless I write it down, I’m not going to remember the set list, so the songs I list are what I can remember and are definitely not in the correct order.
Firehouse came out right on time. I can’t say that I followed them all that closely back in the day, but I’ve seen them quite a few times recently and I’ve enjoyed them every time. They are a truly underrated live band. CJ’s pipes sound as good now as they did 20 years ago, which is rare indeed. His new solo venture, Rubicon Cross, is something I will have to check out. Bill Leverty is an amazing guitarist, and again, underrated. His solo stuff is definitely worth a listen! Allen McKenzie is solid on bass and Michael Foster knows how to attack a drum kit. They did most of their hits in their 45 minute set, including Love of a Lifetime, Reach for the Sky, When I Look Into Your Eyes, Shake and Tumble, All She Wrote, and Don’t Treat Me Bad. A stellar performance. I’d go see them anywhere!
Slaughter was up next. This is the hard part, because I’m an honest person, and some people aren’t going to like this. Let me start by saying that I really love these guys, not just their music, but them as individuals. They are all good people, and they helped me tremendously in my quest to become a music photographer. I owe them a lot. With that being said, I don’t want to be negative, but Mark really needs to do something about his voice. At one time he had the most amazing voice in the world of rock music, and could hit the high notes like nobody’s business. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case anymore. He still does all right in the lower ranges, but not the higher ones, and since most of their songs require him to sing in the higher ranges, well, you get the picture. I love going to see these guys perform, and I will always support them, but I truly hope that Mark will take some time off to take care of himself and his voice. I want them to be around for a long time to come. Now, the rest of the band still rocks it! Dana Strum probably has more fun playing bass than anyone I’ve ever seen. Jeff Blando is another amazing and underrated guitarist. If you get a chance to see his solo band - Blandini - it’s worth the trip. He can really belt out the Zepplin! And let’s not forget Zoltan! Really, if you haven’t heard of this guy yet, or seen him perform, then please look him up! He’s an animal, and I can’t see how he can possibly keep the beat with all of his antics, but he does. Their set was a little shorter than I’m used to, but they got in most of their hits, including Burning Bridges, Eye to Eye, Mad About You, Real Love, Fly to the Angels and Up All NIght. Mark still came down into the crowd, which I always thought was a cool thing to do, and the fans really love it. Now, I have to rant just a little bit here. At one point, Mark picked up Blando and held him upside down while he played. I didn’t get any pictures of this because it was past my two song limit. See, as a professional photographer, we are allowed to shoot only a limited time, then we have to put the cameras away until the next band. In this day and age, that is about the silliest rule there is. Everyone in the crowd had at a camera or at least a cell phone that can take pictures, and they got photos and video of that, but not me. I could have sneaked shots from the crowd, but I drove a long way and didn’t want to risk the chance of getting kicked out!
Last up was Cinderella. I was surprised at how late they started, but I guess we were so far out in the sticks that they didn’t care about the noise! I’ve got to say that I love the bluesy rock that these guys play. Tom Keifer’s voice isn’t quite what it used to be, since his recent vocal chord surgery, but he can still belt them out. I’ve often wondered how he can sing in the gravely voice and not do irreparable damage, but his “normal” voice is still amazing. The lighting for their first two songs wasn’t too great, so I didn’t get many good shots. I was hoping to get a good shot of Fred Coury, since he’s been quite elusive so far, but this wasn’t to be the night. I lucked out with a few of Jeff LaBar and Eric Brittingham. They are both fun to watch. They again did most of their hits, including Nobody’s Fool, Shake Me, Somebody Save Me, Gypsy Road, Don’t Know What You’ve Got, Shelter Me, Heartbreak Station and Night Songs. They were amazing, as always! We left a little early, since getting out of our parking spot would have been impossible otherwise, but it was a great night. Definitely a much needed dose of rock and roll!
And one aside before I leave you... We stopped at the baby animal pen on the way out. The fawns and kids (baby goats for you city folk) were adorable, but the teacup potbelly pig - OMG! I wanted to bring him home with me he was so cute!
Until next time, keep rockin’!!!
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