A dual-headliner concert with an opener? Sign me up!
Vern Daysel & The Burning Breeze kicked off the evening, a four-piece rock band from South Florida. The first thing you notice is that they took the stage like they belonged. There’s a certain swagger and confidence that invites people to pay attention. Fronted by South African singer/guitarist Vern Daysel, it was soon evident why many reviewers describe them as “blues-soaked soulful southern rock.” We all like that, right? I heard a bit of The Black Crowes or Blackberry Smoke in their set, and they fit well in that “soulful” aspect. Southern rock has its (love ’em or hate ’em) tropes, but you won’t find gospel influences, horn sections or extended jams like in so many others. Try “Feel So Right,” “On Fire” or “Married to the Road” to sample the band’s stylistic flavors.
Richie Kotzen, familiar to many from early 90’s Poison or The Winery Dogs, has over 20 solo albums and showcased his guitar prowess in a very different style than John 5. Rooted in blues-rock and soul, Kotzen rides the emotions and builds groove-based vocal melodies to pair with the song. Like John 5, he can cross styles, from picking country style licks to rock to surf or bluegrass, but with similar speed and precision. As his songs are built around lyrics, the guitar solos appear where needed rather than exist as an entire piece, and his sound is warmer and more organic, with fewer pedal effects. In sum, Kotzen perhaps carries more emotion while John 5 features technical creativity.
Kotzen performed a great set, the contrast of the full aural spectrum being covered by a full band a noticeable difference from John 5. The great news is that this wasn’t an “either – or” scenario. Either artist will be the favorite of some, but the dual bill really had something for everyone.
John 5 ushered Halloween to Atlanta day early, taking the stage fronted with large lighted pumpkins, twenty days after the release of his 11th solo album, Ghost, featuring a song called “The Ghost,” and shortly playing “the ghost,” his trademark white Fender Tele. Further into the set, guitar tech David Vela tossed candy out to the crowd.
But it’s more the ear candy of note, those things that you should expect from a John 5 performance: a feast of technique and tone featuring lightning-fast sweep picking, intricate fretwork, and razor-sharp precision. Just watching John 5’s fingers is exhausting – speed, stretching, precision. Everything live is instrumental, powered only by Alex Mercado’s drums. A few recorded effects are added here and there, but the spectacle is all John 5.
Though he’s better known for his work with Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Mötley Crüe, John 5’s solo show stands apart from that legacy. Tracks like “You and Me and the Devil Makes Three” and “Black Grass Plague” blended bluegrass intricacy with rock aggression — a sound closer to the Dixie Dregs than industrial metal.
This night, his face was painted with The Creatures era features, white with black lips and a black zig zag lines streaking across his cheeks. The set included “Crank It,” “Que Pasa” (complete with frenzied kill-switch effects), and the more familiar tune of “A Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” enhanced with his inimitable flash.
For variety, he swaps out instruments regularly, including mini-Goldie (a miniature Tele), a lighted guitar, a banjo, and a new(?) see-through guitar body. He’s clearly in his own space, playing what he wants, but aside from the dexterity of his fretwork, maybe the more amazing thing is how effortless his performance appears. His face is unreadable through most of the show, where most guitarists would be emoting with every bend of the strings. Maybe, he’s just taking satisfaction in his skills and watching jaws drop in the audience.
In short, it was a night of technical brilliance and his uniquely eerie charm. With Richie Kotzen joining this tour, fans should absolutely seize the chance to catch this show before it’s gone.
