My comeback to the live scene was also apparently much-needed but it was following more family-related reasons so on that I'll simply move on to the real show everyone was eager to see instead.
But first, credit to the supporting local bands who allowed for Mister Scary's music to be the master of the evening. Starting with local female-fronted blues rockers DIRTY LITTLE SECRET whose set I ashamedly missed most of likely due to babysitting. The last few minutes of their show I caught was stellar enough to merit a proper review considering that they filled in at the last minute for another local band. Their songs were mostly comprised of 6-minute ethereal jam sessions backed up with some fine sultry singing courtesy of frontwoman "Wailin" Sharon Williamson who channeled her inner Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin in between the dulcet bluesy tones of guitarist Ian "Mr. Fingers" Dumanski. A blues band would usually be the least-anticipated choice of opener for this sort of live show but the Bourbon Room's welcoming atmosphere of pretty much all contemporary and modern rock music made the local quintet feel right at home. And sometimes it's the type of talent that for many can be a bit of a lost art in keeping.
https://www.facebook.com/DLSBand?fref=ts
http://www.dirtylittlesecretband.com/
With Thunderbird axes at the helm, local hard rock trio GREAT PANIC are the next band to stake out the Bourbon Room stage. Their own brand of sleazy street ready hard rock may only be less than a year old (having been a band since last July) but the individual band members (guitarist/frontman Spaced Freak, bassist JP Buzzard and drummer Steve Avender) bring a seasoned and experienced flair to the proverbial table. Their influences ranging from the party-fuelled 70's and 80's rock behemoths such as KISS, ZEPPELIN and MOTLEY CRUE were evident in tracks such as "Space Ride" and "Thinkin' 'Bout You". And while their own catalogue was short GREAT PANIC weren't above a cover song or two, their rendition of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' "Crackerman" being a pleasant surprise. I personally could've done without their equally energetic rendition of "Rockin' In The Free World" to close their set however only because I've heard enough versions of the song to last me for an eternity. But judging from their reception it's unlikely that GREAT PANIC have the confidence to fearlessly venture forward into anything in their young career.
https://www.facebook.com/greatpanic001
From GREAT PANIC to the Great Mr. Scary himself, the former DOKKEN axeman and his namesake in the form of LYNCH MOB claim the headlining slot as its rightful own as the quartet kick off their set with "She's Evil But She's Mine". The band has weathered quite a few lineup changes since the release of their breakthrough debut Wicked Sensation a quarter century ago with the current members consisting of vocalist Oni Logan, drummer Jimmy D'Anda (ex-BULLETBOYS) and....oh, my, Sons Of Anarchy fans, but wouldn't that be Sean McNabb from the Tacoma chapter from Season 5 handling bass duties? It is and long before the allure of SamCro and Katey Sagal's leather outfits became impossible to pass up such a sweet acting gig, McNabb amassed a solid 30+ year-long music career starting with playing bass in QUIET RIOT and beyond, including stints in GREAT WHITE, XYZ, MONTROSE, EDGAR WINTER, JAMES BROWN and even DOKKEN, which was how he came to hook up with George Lynch afterwards. Yet despite several break-ups and rotating members, LYNCH MOB's consummate stage performance could still effortlessly pick up where it left off after a prolonged absence like nothing happened.
The setlist straddled both LYNCH MOB's catalogue from their debut album as well as newer tracks from 2014's Sun Red Sun (named in honor of late BADLANDS vocalist Ray Gillen) such as "Believers Of The Day" and "Subliminal Dream", both groove-laden modern tracks with the right balance of laid-back blues riffs and George Lynch's signature guitar harmonics. Vocalist Oni Logan still retained the powerful soulful voice from years ago as he made classics such as "River Of Love" and "All I Want" sound fresh, dynamic and reborn. He even gave quite a few DOKKEN numbers a new lease on life as both he and Lynch traded off on classics such as "Into The Fire" and "The Hunter". Lynch, meanwhile, still kept his fiery soloing spark alive as his finger-tapping harmonics on "Tooth And Nail" and "Mr. Scary" delighted the near sold-out crowd including those who had missed out on DOKKEN's early years. Even a broken string during "Let The Music Be Your Master" couldn't deter the legendary guitarist who merely saw an opportunity to trade his Les Paul for his signature yellow and black striped guitar which had adorned many of his former band's early videos. Finally, Sean McNabb's bass skills ran the gamut from sharp pick thrusting to full-on funkified slapping; his CV does include touring with James Brown after all and it reflected well.<>p
Closing with their best-known hit "Wicked Sensation", George Lynch and his Mob ruled the rest of the evening though the $50 fee to meet the band after the show admittedly put me off somewhat but the music was the master that night. And that can sometimes be the best sensation of them all. Here's hoping their next comeback won't be as long.
Thanks to Skotti, Dion and the rest of the revolution heroes amongst the Bourbon Room crew for making this show happen.
https://www.facebook.com/LynchMobOfficial?fref=ts
Setlist:
- "She's Evil But She's Mine"
- "River Of Love"
- "All I Want"
- "Hell Child"
- "Revolution Heroes"
- "Subliminal Dream"
- "Believers Of The Day"
- "Let The Music Be Your Master"
- "Into The Fire"
- "Tooth And Nail"
- "The Hunter"
- Bass/drum/guitar solo
- "Mr. Scary"
- "Wicked Sensation"
