REVIEWS: Top concerts of 2019 include Iron Maiden, Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Photo: Reel Big Fish are ready for a busy summer of co-headlining dates. Photo courtesy of Jodie Cunningham / Provided by Earshot Media with permission.
When the temperatures increase in the United States, so does the number of concert acts coming to town. Outdoor and indoor venues are packed tight during these months when some of the biggest names in the music industry start gigging around.
Here are some of the top concert highlights from the New York and New Jersey area.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO are time traveling each time they grace a stage, and audiences are definitely responding in kind. At a recent concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the band soared through 90 minutes of music that included many hit songs and some deeper tracks, all of them washing over the jam-packed crowd like a psychedelic wave.
The well-known tracks were enjoyable and instigated instantaneous singalongs; they included “Evil Woman,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” and “Mr. Blue Sky.” Unfortunately “Strange Magic” was missing from the set.
Some of the top songs of the night were orchestral pieces that let Lynne’s unique vocals marry nicely with a resounding wallop from the multi-piece band. From the opening number of “Standin’ in the Rain” to “Last Train to London” to “All Over the World,” the songs brought that unique ELO sound that feels like an orchestra playing a set aboard a UFO.
Crowd favorites also included “Do Ya,” which ELO perform with just the right mix of ferocity and romance, and “Turn to Stone,” which appeared near the end of the set.
Lynne has received plaudits throughout his career, and this summer tour featuring the most recent iteration of ELO proves he’s one of the best musicians of the past 50 years.
Iron Maiden tore up the Barclays Center Friday, July 26, beginning a two-night stay at the venue in Brooklyn, New York. The stage theatrics were amped up to 11, and lead singer Bruce Dickinson flew about in a whirl of gesturing, dancing and raging. He is equal parts Grand Guignol and Monty Python, acting out 15 little narratives each time the band takes the stage.
For this sold-out concert, with approximately 14,000 metal heads in attendance, the set list was a hits parade honoring Iron Maiden’s longevity and many memorable songs. The set began at approximately 9 p.m. with “Aces High” and an inflatable Spitfire plane descending from the stage. Then, for the next two hours, there was hardly time to catch one’s breath as the band continued with such classics as “2 Minutes to Midnight,” “The Trooper,” “The Wicker Man” and “Fear of the Dark.” The epic “For the Greater Good” was perhaps the longest of the rock anthems on display, while the final song of the night, “Run to the Hills,” was perhaps the strongest, with the crowd pumping their fists and showing off those devil horns.
Pepper recently played on the Rooftop at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport of New York City. They were on a quadruple bill of reggae rock bands that also featured Fortunate Youth, Katastro and Iration. Pepper, a three-piece band originally from Hawaii, brought the party atmosphere, for sure, and demanded that the audience enjoy themselves.
Guitarist Kaleo Wassman and bassist Bret Bollinger took care of vocals for the 50-minute set, while Yesod Williams held court at the drums. Crowd favorites included everything from “B.O.O.T.,” with that base line still low, to “Rent.”
Wassman and Bollinger paraded around the stage, demanding the audience pick up the energy on a hot, but still beautiful night in the Big Apple. In between numbers, they told jokes, kept up the energy and thanked the crowd for the two decades of dedication.
Each tune had the band instigating a response from the packed audience on the rooftop, which overlooks both the Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. When the three guys weren’t rocking out themselves, they brought up special guests from each of the other bands.
Pepper are touring in support of their latest album, Local Motion. For that project, they collaborated with Stick Figure, a band they toured with recently. With no Stick Figure in the house, Iration filled in for a spirited song that had heads bopping, arms swaying and sweat rolling.
Check out Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with Pepper’s Yesod Williams.
Reel Big Fish recently played The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York, on a co-headlining bill with Less Than Jake. The ska punk band had the crowd dancing, bopping and even moshing through a set of classic tunes, including “She Has a Girlfriend Now,” “Beer” and “I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too.”
Is there a better party ska band than Reel Big Fish? They have been going strong for more than 20 years and continue to combine humorous lyrics and catchy guitar riffs, all the while singing about relationships, partying and alcohol.
The audience were not snobs this night in Poughkeepsie because they also appreciated the relatively new track “Life Sucks … Let’s Dance!,” a crowd-pleaser that easily sits among the classic tunes from this legendary ska outfit.
Check out Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with Reel Big Fish’s Aaron Barrett.
The Debonair Musical Hall in Teaneck, New Jersey, is one of the coolest and most intimate places to see music in the Garden State. They offer a variety of acts in all genres, and some of their recent additions to the calendar produced a rocking good time for the crowd.
Alive! ’75, a Kiss tribute band, tore through a set that featured many of Kiss’ best songs from the 1970s. Most of the classics were present and accounted for, but that didn’t stop the guys from diving deeper into the back catalog for some choice rarities.
Anthony De Lucia Jr., portraying the Demon, thumped along on the bass and kept the blood bubbling. Joe Gillies, the Catman, kept everyone in time with his pulsating percussion, while Starchild Marc Fox pulled off an uncanny Paul Stanley with his vocals. Newest addition to the band, Pasquale “Pat” Porpora, was an exquisite Spaceman, riffing hard with his guitar and even taking vocals on a few songs.
Check out Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with Alive! ’75’s Anthony De Lucia Jr.
Return of the Comet, featuring former members of Frehley’s Comet, recently played Debonair, bringing to life a set list that featured many of the fun tunes from the 1980s that defined Ace Frehley’s post-Kiss career. Who doesn’t love “Into the Night,” “Something Moved” and “Rock Soldiers.”
This band is clearly carrying on the torch of Frehley’s Comet, perhaps one of the most underrated bands from the 1980s. Their self-titled debut album, featuring such songs as “Breakout,” “We Got Your Rock” and “Calling to You,” demands constant playing for any true classic-rock fan.
In ROTC are John Regan on bass, Tod Howarth on guitar and lead vocals, Richie Scarlet on guitar and lead vocals, and Steve “Budgie” Werner on drums. They all played with Frehley at one point or another, and they continue on the legacy of the Comet.
Scarlet and Howarth were effective in how they fronted the band, trading off on vocals and never letting their guitar solos stray into self-indulgence. Regan, a man who has played with so many great musicians, offered his skilled bass playing, while Werner pounded away on the drums.
Samantha Fish, one of the top blues musicians in the business, played a sold-out concert at Debonair. With the guitar hanging off her shoulder, she powered through a set that was equal parts instrumental solos and blues-soaked singing. Her band was perfectly aligned with her style and creativity on stage, and the audience seemed to enjoy every last bit of her authentic sounds.
Fish seems to be on a constant tour, so there have been numerous options to see her in the Tri-State Area, but the joy of catching such a high-profile act at Debonair is the intimacy of this venue. Fish’s guitar playing, which is truly expert and nuanced, bled out over the crowd, causing fans to light up their smartphones and record the bluesy antics for posterity.
Fish is one of the best touring acts around, a must-see for any fans of blues from any generation.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
