SEBASTIAN
BACH
with Santa Cruz
Mercy Lounge – Nashville – May 11,
2016
So here’s the weird thing. When I told people I was going to see Sebastian Bach during his stop in Nashville on May 11th, a number of them asked me why. Which I found surprising and, quite frankly, downright disturbing. Because, I mean, I’m sorry…..but why would I not go see Sebastian Bach? In fact, just to get this off my chest, let me recount a few of the comments I received from those who obviously hold nothing sacred in their lives:
1. “You know he can’t hit those notes like he used to.”
2. “Ugh, he’s such a diva.”
3. “Sebastian Bach? Really? He turned into such a tool.”
Yeah. Well. Here’s the deal. In my house, we
don’t talk about Sebastian Bach like that.
I don’t care if he can or cannot hit those notes
(to be discussed later in this review) or if he is or isn’t a diva.
He still fronted one of the best rock n roll bands of the 80s/90s (which, by
the way, I never got to see during that period due to a mother who didn’t think
a teenage girl should go to such concerts without parental supervision – the
thought of which was clearly horrifying to me). And though Rachel Bolan
and Snake Sabo are talented musicians in their own right, I’ve seen their
version of Skid Row, and I gotta say: it just ain’t Skid Row without
Sebastian Bach. It’s the same reason I gravitate towards the Phil
Lewis/Steve Riley incarnation of L.A. Guns. Even though I think Tracii
Guns is an amazing guitar player, it’s the voice that I know.
It’s the voice
that brings back the good ol’ days when I was nothing but a small town girl
with high hair and big dreams of dancin’ down on the Sunset Strip (maybe why my
mother prohibited me from attending these concerts without her?).
Regardless, that’s why I go see these bands. To relive my youth for a couple of
hours and hear the songs the way I remember them. Well, that
and to show my mom I do what I want now.
The show was advertised to start at 9pm, but I received an email that
day informing me that there was now an opening band that would come on at 8pm -
so if I wanted a refund, I could get one. Yeah, no. That’s just crazy.
Whoever actually asked for a refund, I don’t ever want to know you. The
semi-annoying thing about this, though, was that the opening band actually
came on at 9pm. So much for the email.
The opening act was a group who calls themselves Santa Cruz. I
don’t know why they call themselves this since they're from Finland.
I suppose because it's better than Helsinki...or Espoo (had to google that
one). But hell, the most kick-ass band to ever come out of Finland
named themselves after a city in Vietnam, so, you know...maybe it's a
"thing". Speaking of said band, when I found out the Santa Cruz
guys hail from the land of the midnight sun, I have to admit I got kind of
excited and thought I might be seeing the next Hanoi Rocks. Nah, not so much.
Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy them, though. They were definitely
entertaining, and their sound was hard but catchy. It’s worth checking
them out if they ever stop in your town.
By the time Sebastian took the stage at around 10:15pm, my friend and I
had already been lamenting for an hour with another 40-something standing next
to us about how much the next day was going to suck. But as soon as Baz tromped out onto the stage – all 7 feet, 10 inches of him - hands in the air
and smile on his face, we forgot about that and all was forgiven. The set
began with Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”, which was an interesting choice.
It didn’t exactly get me hyped up, but it was nice, and Baz and the band did a
good job with it. After the next song, “Breakin’ Down”, which is a great
tune from the Subhuman
Race album, Sebastian launched into a country song he had written in
Nashville called “Battle with the Bottle”. Meh. He sounded good, but I’m
not a huge country fan so it didn’t do much for me -- and I was about to start
climbing the walls if I didn't hear some of the old tunes.
Once we had all cried into our beers, it was time for Baz to hit us with
some serious Skid Row, and he immediately launched into “18 & Life”. YES. GOLD.
Exactly what I wanted. And then….sigh – another cover song, “Rock n Roll
is a Vicious Game” by April Wine. Now, don’t get me wrong -- that’s a
great song. But I was getting a little nervous at this point. Had I
signed up for a night of covers and country songs?! Fortunately…..no.
For the rest of the show, it was all Skid Row and Slave to the Grind
(with just a few exceptions), and the songs he choose from those albums were
solid: “I Remember You”, “Piece of Me” (my personal fav off the Skid Row album),
“Big Guns”, “Sweet Little Sister”, “Rattlesnake Shake”, "Youth Gone
Wild", “Slave to the Grind”, and “Monkey Business” had the whole
crowd HORNS UP. He offered up some funny banter and
stories between songs, one in particular about how as a kid, he had admired
Willie Nelson with his big tour bus and “hay bales full of weed” and knew he
wanted to grow up and be that guy.
Hey, I get it, Bas. I was in my bedroom wishing I was dancing at the
Seventh Veil and riding on the back of Nikki Sixx's motorcycle. Some
dreams come true...and some people become accountants. Sadly, my personal
tweet to Bas asking for a little “Wasted Time” action must’ve gotten lost in
Twitter world because, alas, there was none (such a diva, right?!). But he did
finish off the show with a killer version of “TNT”, which was a great way to
end the night.
So. Let me break this down for anyone who ever doubts Sebastian
Bach. What matters most to me is the show. The music. The presence on the
stage, not behind the scenes. And on stage, Sebastian Bach genuinely
seemed to be having fun and enjoying the moment. He said something about
being a “happy guy” these days, and I think he is. Constant
interaction with the audience. High-fiving and grabbing the hands that
were reaching for him. Letting us sing into the microphone (and not
because he couldn’t sing or was out of breath -- my guess is that if
you're reading this, you've probably been to that concert
and know the pain).
 |
Kidding/Not Kidding -
Jen
No comments:
Post a Comment