Monday, May 28, 2012

The GANG Of OutLAWS Concert Review

MAY 26, 2012: Mark G. Etess Arena, Atlantic City

Gretchen Wilson: A fantastic Opening act for two established RoCK acts to follow:

Showcasing Work Hard, Play Harder" a song firmly implanted in my everyday IPOD of ROCK, was most certainly the highlight for me!  A 

The Band: Fantastic, high energy, youthful musicians; played the ROCK covers like established Pros.
The ROCK AND ROLL cover made famous by the legendary Led Zeppelin was powerful! A+

Song Selection: While Gretchen outwardly recognized and was grateful to be asked on this tour by the Pop/Rock veterans, I feel she relied too heavily on her bar band-ROCK Roots. While featuring some awesome covers from 1970's icons Foreigner and Led Zeppelin she did NOT follow through with an expected high-powered encore finish with her FIRST hit to stardom RED NECK WOMAN or another hard-hitting favorite locked in my IPOD, I'm Here For The Party. There was some fan comment in seats around me expressing wonderment over this. B-

A Rockin medley of guitar classics from Cat Scratch Fever to Heart's Barracuda was tasty! A+

Stage Presence: Gretchen Wilson looks phenomenal and worked the crowd effortlessly and with a veteran presence throughout her set. A

After Signing: She even met fans at her merchandise table AFTER the show! Country performers KNOW how to treat their fans! They are endearing and ALL performers should exhibit this level of showmanship and connectiveness to their "paying customers." A++

Overall: B+

3 DOORS DOWN:

Fourteen plus years of pop/rock success came to the forefront as the boys from Misssissippi ROCKED the house with all the hits!

The setlist: Duck And Run, Citizen Soldier, Loser and Kryptonite were blistering with an awesome video display screen fully synched to band images on stage! A+

Stage Presence: Top-notch! Brad Arnold is youthful, strong and a powerful front man. Sitting next to two young girls who won a 3 Doors Down Twitter contest for tickets, the band was NOT disappointing their diehards. Arnold actively engaged the audience to thunderous response and also made it a point to welcome, salute and thank the veterans of service on this Memorial Weekend stage!  A++ 

Overall: A+  

ZZ TOP:

The bad boys from Texas ROCKED the house!

Song Selection: What a refreshing set of the deep cuts and Blues! Opened the set with THANK YOU!! Pin Cushion, My Head's In MississippiI Heard It On The X and Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers, my all time fave' were ROCKIN'STAGES?? Wow! Awesome! The hits: Sharp Dressed ManLegs and TUSH were cool*  An all time fave, Tube Snake Boogie was not featured and in most cases would hold down their grade with me, BUT thanks to some tasty morsel forgotten blues....... A++ 

Stage Presence: Always engaging and rebellious to do what they want, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill remain a fantastic front men duo out in front of the jet engine drumming of the beardless Frank Beard. They are consumate Pros who DO what they LOVE and it comes blasting through!
NO doubt these guys know how to do it, when to do it and they have been doing it this way for 40 years! A+

You may not know: After an Atlantic City show in 1998 and spending about 3 hours in his dressing room afterwards, I was asked to bring the car around to the side door. Billy Gibbons wanted to have dinner at his favorite Atlantic City eatery, Los Amigos Restaurant..at 3am! One pit stop first was a nearby 7 Eleven store on Pacific Avenue as he complained the restaurant did NOT have hot enough tabasco sauce to his liking. Before the era of I-Phones/cameras it was hilarious to see not one nearby drug dealer paying any attention to him going up and down the aisles of 7 Eleven looking for sauce!Yes..we waited in the car. Thank YOU Joe for that experience! NEVER will forget it* OK, my overall score here is padded!! 

Overall: Having seen this band live for about 25 years running, they are AGELESS! A+

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