LIVE – Raiding The Rock Vault, April 29, 2013

Venue: LVH

City: Las Vegas, NV

Date: April 29, 2013

Reviewer & Photographer: Todd Jolicoeur – www.toddstarphotography.com

I hear supergroup and cringe.  Don’t get me wrong, some of them have been phenomenal  but others I thought were big flops.  This show is less a supergroup and more a super show with members from different groups committed to a common cause – playing classic rock and roll songs, and doing it well.  The idea was to put together a band that not only knew how to play, but had an appreciation for the roots of rock and roll.  The early stuff that influenced their own bands and the hits that came while they were making their own strides in the rock world.  The band hitting the stage nightly in Las Vegas at the LVH are stars in their own right.  The best part is this is an actual show.  There is narration, a full blown concert, and even some skits along the way that emphasize the different eras and backgrounds for each stop along the way on this rock and roll ride.  The concert part of the performance proclaims they play “The Greatest Set List Ever.”  Pulling songs from various rock and roll icons such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Eagles, Queen, AC/DC, Deep Purple, and more, the night is full of music for everyone to enjoy.

This show, written by Grammy Award-winning record producer David Kershenbaum and musician, producer and vocalist John Payne, really reflects where rock layed its roots from 1960 to 1989.  The all-stars that make up this supergroup are stars in their own rightsthat have put their own agenda aside for the next year and come together to help tell the story of rock.  The band features Howard Leese [Guitar] (Heart, Bad Company), Tracii Guns [Guitar] (LA Guns, Guns n’ Roses), Robin McAuley [Lead Vocals] (MSG, Survivor), John Payne [Lead Vocals and Bass] (Asia), Paul Shortino [Vocals] (Rough Cutt, Quite Riot), Jay Schellen [Drums] (Hurricane, Asia), Andrew Freeman [Lead Vocals and Guitars] (Lynch Mob, The Offspring), and Michael T. Ross [Keyboards] (Lita Ford, Hardline, Angel).

The show opens with energy and doesn’t let up.  Highlights for me were the tri-vocals during “Stairway To Heaven,” compliments of John Payne, Robin McAuley, and Andrew Freeman and the duel-style guitar solo in “Hotel California” via the two lead guitarists, Tracii Guns and 2013 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee Howard Leese.  Trust me the whole show really kept the audience engaged, but these moments stood out for me then and still do at this moment.  Watching these musicians play these songs – without any reinterpretation – helped me appreciate their dedication to the cause and the mission of recognizing the true contents of the Rock Vault.

If you are headed to Vegas and plan on having a great time, make sure you add this to your To Do List.  You will have a spring in your step and these songs will be dancing through your head the rest of your trip.

Setlist: My Generation – Light My Fire – All Along The Watchtower – Honky Tonk Woman – Stairway To Heaven – Smoke On The Water – Hotel California – We Are The Champions – Medley (More Than A Feeling – Another Brick In The Wall – Kashmir – Carry On Wayward Son) – Living On A Prayer – Run To You – Separate Ways – Armegeddon It – Medley (Eye Of The Tiger – Sharp Dressed Man – You Shook Me All Night Long – Owner Of A Lonely Heart – Addicted To Love – Here I Go Again) – Juke Box Hero – Jump

Complete Set of Photos from this Performance Here

http://www.raidingtherockvault.com

https://www.facebook.com/RaidingTheRockVault?fref=ts

Category: Live Reviews