I constantly hear complaints about no one going out there to support the local music scene. Either it has now gotten through to everyone, or there are two words to get people out on a weeknight: Saving Abel. How packed was it? The best way I can describe it is, in all of the times I have been at Open Chord, I had never seen that big of a crowd.
To open up for Saving Abel was In Service of Sound. A very talented female-fronted band, I was automatically hooked on their music and stage presence. One of the things I have retained from learning about stage performance is, to move around, to not stand still, when the music is playing. That Ashley did, and without hindrances, as if she were enjoying herself. This was the largest crowd this band had every played in front of. They killed it! Now, bring on an even bigger crowd for them.
Killing Grace loves them some Knoxville! Just a few weeks prior, they had rocked Open Chord at HARC. They jumped at the chance to open up for this show...in the middle of a super-busy tour for their recent release of Speak With a Fist. Those who missed the HARC show got a great taste of songs from both albums, including "17 Scars" and "Live Like a Suicide."
How has Killing Grace greatly impacted the bands in Knoxville? Bass player Eric Taylor wore a Killing Grace t-shirt while on stage.
Photo credit: NVK Photography
That's just scraping the surface of how they aim to please. They are great crowd pleasers. Lead singer Scott Austin kept the audience engaged in the best way, including a great shout out to the military, and to someone in the audience making a video of one of their songs.
In Christmas of 1990, I received from a friend a copy of In the Heart of the Young, which was Winger's follow-up album after their 1988 debut self-titled album. A few months later, I went with that same friend to a Winger concert.
Flash forward 26 years later...and Kip Winger is still alive and well, with many musical accomplishments under his belt, from rock to classical.
Like before, I put on my best pair of jeans and rock & roll t-shirt, and went to downtown Knoxville at the Square Room in Market Square.
This is my second acoustic show of an 80s rock star, the previous one An Evening with Michael Sweet in April 2015 in Whitesburg, KY. Something I have come to love about these is, it's laid back. That is what Kip was from the moment he got on stage to sing. Or was it to talk? I loved hearing about how he had come from Nashville and thought he was still on central time, only to find that he had lost an hour and therefore not had a chance to eat.
He is the only rock star I know of who will eat potato chips on stage.
So, if anyone out there still has it in them to compose an article titled Kip Winger's Vital Stats, much like the ones from the celebrity magazines from back in the day, you can list Kip Winger's favorite snack--to have on stage, no less--is Lay's potato chips.
Photo Credit; Thomas Biggs, TRB Photography, LLC
He had fun with spicing up his backup vocals. Take for instance "Can't Get Enough," one of my personal favorites. He asked us to sing them...like the way Joe Elliott of Def Leppard would do it.
It seems there is a new form of social media where brackets are made. The brackets are to be used for votes. Also concerning social media are the many photos about musicians. I came across one a while back that was a list of things that indicate an incompetent musician. One of the items was the band asking the audience for song requests. While that, under those circumstances, would be in poor taste, Kip made light of it:
He made some "brackets", with an "applause-o-meter", such as "Under One Condition" or "Hungry."
Just when it couldn't get any better with him engaging the audience, he invited someone to sing "Miles Away" with him. It ended up being a local guy who, if knowledge serves me correctly, once played drums in a local band. He sang well, never missed a word of this awesome rock ballad.
By now, you're wondering, "Did Kip play an acoustic version of 'Seventeen?'" This left me at the edge of my seat. The answer: Yes! Very last song.
Thank you, Kip Winger, not only for all of the memories, especially from this one show, but for showing love for us fans in a way we had never seen.
Back in March, I made a big, huge mistake; I didn't go see Place Skulls at Open Chord. I was thankful to have a second chance last night for the Night in the Word at Open Chord. As you know, I had been there only a few nights ago for HARC.
I also wanted some more of their food. For those of you who haven't eaten there yet, I highly recommend the personal pepperoni pizza with a Snapple lemon tea. It was nice to have an acoustic act to set the atmosphere for this mouth-watering dinner.
Paul Ahnert of Metal Mission of Knoxville gave a stirring message afterwards of "Being Real with God," teaching from Psalm 139. In addition to his ministry with Metal Church, he also has a great blog that I love to read every chance I get. He has some great biblical insights. Please click this, and be blessed!
The acoustic set and Paul's message did well in whetting the audience's appetite for some awesome righteous doom metal. After all, you can't go wrong when Victor Griffin, ex-Pentagram lead vocalist, is up on stage at what, in my humble opinion, is the best venue to see live music. The best part about this show, again from a newbie, was hearing "Late for an Early Grave".
Having gone to many hard rock shows, the bands playing show non-stop action, hardly a lull in between songs. I have come to know Victor as a man of few but meaningful words. What he doesn't say, he lets his guitar(s) do the talking.
What I have to say in one short question is: When is the next time I will see Place of Skulls? A big, big thanks to Open Chord for having this wonderful uplifting event.
What happens when a fellow metalhead is suffering? We let them know we care, are there for them in any way we can. This past Saturday night at the Open Chord, we showed that love to Scott Thomas, a Knoxville resident who supports the local music scene. He has had a lifetime struggle with hydrocephalus, which is "water in the brain." Seven rock/metal bands, from Southwest Virginia to middle Tennessee, came to play for this benefit. Many of these are ones who are well-known in this area, including Annandale, Shallowpoint, and Belfast Six Pack.
Scott Thomas started off the show by giving a moving, inspiring testimony of how he has overcome this disease. Paradoxically, it is miraculous he has had only seventeen surgeries. Thomas stated that an average child would likely have upwards of one hundred of them. Despite himself, he spoke very well and made it a dialogue: Everyone in the audience encouraged and cheered him on.
The Knoxville music scene is huge!
I may never get to the bottom of the list of all of the bands. One of them was one Clockwork Asylum.
A great band to start off this benefit concert. Why? Because six months ago, lead singer KW Longenstein was in a car accident. He held nothing back in his stage presence. Complete with red and black makeup for a mask, he just killed it right then. Not only with that, but with the bullhorn he used in the second half of the show. A great cover of "Come Together" was a great addition to their set. But then there was a technical difficulty in the latter part of their set. What did they do to keep the momentum? Drummer Thomas Tittle played a drum solo.
Next up was Autumn Reflection. Guys, what a great job on your rockin' music.
Another band that has overcome a lot over the past few years: Something Wicked. They had had some personnel changes. If I do say so myself, this present lineup is awesome. In addition to vocalist Randall Paige, they have Jimmy Craig, who has a wicked bass (no pun intended) and an accompanying stage presence of the same kind, and his wife Julie on backup vocals. There was a surprise: Julie had lead on a song. It was killer. I'd love to hear it again!
Though by this time three bands had already played, this was only scraping the surface for what was ahead. If no one was convinced of any of the above-mentioned bands, that would give way when Killing Grace hits the stage. I speak from experience. And it was no accident that the very place where that happened for me was at Open Chord. This was the first time they had come since the March release of their album Speak With a Fist. Most of their lineup was songs from this new album. Though the CD is great (I'm still high from the amazement from first hearing it), all of the songs will come to life in the best way when seen live.
All I can say about Shallowpoint is (and mark my words here): they refuse to quit. The fruits of their persistence were recently rewarded with their lyric video of "Fractured". To show up Saturday night in spite of recent personal and professional obstacles, and give the audience the best show ever--that spoke volumes. Oh, yes! Volume, which was turned up in the best way for bassist Heather Shallowpoint. I could feel it moving through me.
Another piece of advice from me: When you have a benefit concert, and whenever possible, ask Belfast Six Pack to play. And they will be there, no matter what it takes. Though I am a veteran Belfast Six Pack fan (for a lack of better words), this was my first time seeing them with their new drummer Tony. Great job, guys, especially with the new songs, one of which "Black Limo".
To conclude this wonderful night of supporting many awesome bands and raising awareness for an unknown but serious illness was Annandale. As I mentioned before, the Knoxville music scene is huge. One of the bands that stands out to me is Annandale. The best part: lead vocalist Ashley and her great energy on stage.
One of the lessons I have learned is, peer pressure never goes away. It just comes in different forms throughout life till you're in the grave.
From the moment I heard about Steel Panther, and saw pictures of them, of their clearer-than-mud glam rock image, and finding out then about their lyrics saturated with racy humor about life in the hard rock music scene, I needed to see this for myself. It seemed like everyone in my music circle had heard of them, heard their music, and even seen them live at least once. Being a lifetime glam rock music fan, I felt left out, as if my life, and the relationships I have developed with like-minded people over the years, wouldn't be complete until I saw Steel Panther.
But I missed the first chance about two years ago due to a prior commitment. I didn't want to blow off the second chance--last night at the International in Knoxville. Best of all, this was part of their Lower the Bar tour.
Opening up for Steel Panthers was Citizen Zero of Detroit.
As goes any band opening up for big act, they're up against a lot, not the least of which is the high likelihood of playing to a scarce or bored audience. Assuming Citizen Zero had never rocked Knoxville,they nailed it in breaking this barrier. In addition to their music sounding so even and tight, Josh LeMay engaged the audience by telling them to act like it was Saturday and not Tuesday; that alone spoke volumes to me. But he went further in saying he wished he could buy everyone there a drink. With that said, I will raise my own glass to their awesome cover of "Stranglehold".
By the time Citizen Zero exited the stage, there was a packed house of glam rock fans, everyone almost literally cheek to cheek. It is not uncommon for venues to play music prior to the show and between sets. I consider it appropriate that "Shout at the Devil" was played almost in its entirety before Steel Panther came on, followed by "I Love it Loud," by KISS.
Then, the moment came. Steel Panthers, in all their glam rock glory, (literally) strutted onto the stage. It was then that I easily got wrapped up in and thoroughly educated on how Michael Starr was an "overweight Bret Michaels" when the guys first met him. It was a night of unashamedly leaving all boundaries at the front door. Then, also to have the band change their minds about how Michael Starr is an "overweight Vince Neil."
One thing is for sure: It takes a certain person to appreciate, to get, this humor.
