Review by Junkman
Photos by Ron Lyon
Rarely does a band come along and consistently blow your mind in a live performance. These days it seems to be hit and miss with many groups and performers. With inflated ticket prices, expensive drink prices and outrageous parking fees, you really want to get the most out of your entertainment dollar in terms of performance. Rival Sons is one band that seems to get better every time I see them. This time it was at the Observatory, a newly remodeled concert venue in Santa Ana, California.
The night started with a rocking set from openers Mount Holly, a white hot band featuring former Sivertide / Shinedown guitarist Nick Perri, who brought the house down with an old-school Zeppelinesque brand of straight ahead rock, the perfect warm up for what was to come. Singer Jameson Burt is the real deal, and quite a front man. His vocal style is the perfect accompaniment to the groove laid down by Perri, bassist Deanna Passarella, and drummer John Bach.
At around 9:30 or so, Rival Sons hit the stage, opening with “Electric Man,” the first single from their 2014 album Great Western Valkyrie. Singer Jay Buchanan, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, is a commanding force. His dynamic vocals and stage presence seem to get better as the show progressed. He kicked off his shoes and went barefoot, as the band launched into “Secret.” Buchanan moved about the stage with the grace of a ballet dancer at times, and his soulful vocals on tracks like “Rich And The Poor” were almost like a mix between a Stax Records era soul singer and an evangelist at a revival meeting.
Guitarist Scott Holiday, looking resplendent in a blue pinstripe suite, wax mustache and ever-so-cool shades, rocked a variety of guitars, mostly Gibson Firebirds, through a huge network of pedals and brought fire to “Pressure And Time,” setting the crowd into one sweaty funky, rocking, collective mob, all smiles and swaying in time to the infectious beat. Holiday’s extended guitar solo during “Manifest Destiny Pt.1” was nothing short of epic.
Buchanan, admittedly battling a fever and sore throat, addressed the crowd and gave thanks to Los Angeles radio station KLOS, who sponsored the show and have actually been playing Rival Sons music, a rarity in this age of corporate playlists that typically ignore new, local bands. But again, this band is special. Buchanan dedicated the next number to his son. “Face Of Light” featured hypnotic guitars and his soaring vocals, and led to a swelling coda that brought a huge applause from the sold-out Observatory crowd. This continued with the shout-along “Burn Down Los Angeles,” a song that had many in the crowd, including myself, fist waving and shouting the chorus, together as one.
“This is a song about forgiveness,” Buchanan announced before leading the band, which also consists of bassist Dave Beste and drummer Mike Miley, through the gospel blues of “Where I’ve Been.” Afterwards, he told to the audience: “We don’t play encores, we just give you the whole thing.” And with that, they raised the roof with the rocking “Tell Me Something,” the opening track from the band’s 2009 debut, Before The Fire, that brought to mind the best of early 70s Led Zeppelin, a frequent comparison.
A band-led “scream battle” amongst the sections of the crowd preceded “Open My Eyes,” which featured a rock solid drum solo from Miley on his silver sparkle finish Gretsch kit that was just plain thunderous. The set closed with “Keep On Swinging,” a song with a video that became a viral hit because of its controversial setting in a church full of snakes. The Observatory roared their approval throughout as the somewhat short but incredibly satisfying set came to an end. If you are a true rock fan, this was the show for you. Everyone in attendance truly enjoyed themselves. Don’t miss Rival Sons if they visit a town near you.
