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Review of:

Desert Invasion 2009 festival (May 9, 2009 - Phoenix, Arizona)

Reviewed by Tawny Khat on May 13, 2009
Photos by Tawny Khat - copyright 2009


Lineup:
1. Bang Tango
2. BulletBoys
3. Trixter
4. L.A. Guns
5. Kix
6. Firehouse
7. Skid Row
8. Night Ranger




What a lineup, huh! This is the kind of show I love, a bunch of my favorite bands that I get to see with a ton of friends. My assistant, Anita, and I arrived in the VIP section just as Bang Tango took the stage at about 1:00 pm on a hot Saturday afternoon. I worked my way towards the stage so I could get some photos and enjoy the music of one of my all-time favorite bands. What a way to kick off the festival!! Bang Tango rocked, performing as many of their hits as they could fit into their allotted 35 minutes, including "Someone Like You", "Don't Stop Now", "Love Injection" and more. Bang Tango can now be considered a hometown band since the members all reside in Phoenix, so that made their opening the show even more special. Performing were Joe Leste kicking ass on vocals, David Henzerling and Anthony Focx wailing on guitar, Lance Eric, who had to have been having a blast thumping those funky bass lines, and Timmy Russell on drums. Before leaving the stage, festival host Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) joined Bang Tango for a rousing performance of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". A video of the performance has been posted on YouTube, so we've included it here for your viewing pleasure.




The temperature was already hovering around 100 degrees at this time, but that didn't slow these guys down at all, nor any of the other bands who performed that day and night.

After Bang Tango's performance we stopped and picked up our complimentary Desert Invasion 2009 t-shirts, then headed for the welcome shade provided by the tents that were put up in the VIP section. We also grabbed some bottles of water to help cool off. I poured one bottle of water over myself and drank the other. That became my routine all day long!

Overall, the festival, put on by local radio station KDKB, was very well organized. The only things I would have changed would have been the addition of a misting system around the tents for more cooling, providing shade and misters for those in general admission (at one point it seemed as though people were dropping like flies out in the heat), or better yet, holding the festival in March when it's cooler. I know of a number of people who decided not to attend due to the heat, some who even had tickets, so I imagine ticket sales were lower than expected.

Watching the roadies change band equipment between acts was very interesting. They were extremely efficient! While they worked I went over to the general admission area to say hello to David Henzerling, who was greeting fans, and his lovely wife Kat. Then it was back to the shade in the VIP area.

Within 20 minutes of Bang Tango leaving the stage, the BulletBoys took the stage. As more people filtered in it became more difficult to approach the stage to take photos (I wasn't provided a media pass for this show, unfortunately, due to a snafu). But, I got close enough. It was awesome seeing the BulletBoys again, because it had been many years since I'd last seen them. Marq Torien's vocals were spot on, and the band, Ryche on drums, Stephen Allan on bass and Tory on guitar, performed like a well-oiled machine. Marq's good friend, Tracii Guns, even joined the band at one point. Despite the heat, the crowd rocked along with "Smooth Up In Ya", pumping their fists in the air and singing right along with Marq. The same goes with the band's other hits, "For The Love Of Money", "THC Groove", etc.

As the day wore on and the heat increased (the high was 103 degrees) I spent more time further from the stage under the protection of the tents kickin' it with my friends at the tables and chairs provided there. I only approached the stage to take photos. Yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to heat, even though I live in a desert!

By the time Trixter came onstage, we were hitting the hottest part of the day, and Anita and I were both feeling it, as were some of my other friends. As a result we spent most of their set sitting in a back corner of one of the tents in an effort to cool off. We couldn't see much where we were at, but we could hear just fine. I did go out to snap some photos before retreating to the relative coolness of the tent. I think Trixter was the biggest surprise of the festival for most people. I'd seen them before and knew they rocked, but I kept hearing people comment about how they were blown away by how good they were. Peter Loran's vocals shone and the rest of the band, Steve Brown on guitar, P.J. Farley on bass and Mark "Gus" Scott on drums performed with the energy of 20 year olds! It was as if no time has passed, and their hits like "One In A Million" and "Give It To Me Good" sounded just as good now as they did in the early 90s.

L.A. Guns were next. Tracii, as always, showed his genious on the guitar, and was backed up nicely by Alec "Bip Al" Bauer on rhythm guitar. Jeremy Guns (bass) and Chad Stewart (drums) formed a tight rhythm section, while Marty Casey belted out the lyrics for all he was worth. Marty did an admirable job of singing L.A. Guns' classics, but it's still hard for me to hear anyone other than Phil performing those tunes. That's just me, nothing against this L.A. Guns, because they did kick ass. Marq Torien returned the favor and joined them onstage, too.

Heat be damned, because there was no way I was missing the next band, KIX. It had been about 20 years since I'd last seen them, so I was really excited to get the chance to see another one of my all-time favorite bands again. Steve Whiteman (vocals), Ronnie Younkins (guitar), Brian Forsythe (guitar), Mark Schenker (bass) and Jimmy Chalfant (drums) were on fire! They performed almost all their best tunes, such as "Girl Money", "The Itch", "Don't Close Your Eyes", "Cold Blood", "Midnight Dynamite", and my personal favorites, "Cold Shower" and "Sex". I don't know where Steve gets all of his energy from, but I want some! I can't wait to see KIX again when I go to Rock Gone Wild.

After spending more time out in the sun watching KIX, I once again had to escape to the shade. I still wasn't sufficiently cooled off by the time Firehouse took the stage, so I stayed put in the shade for a while longer before eventually making my way out snap some photos. While resting we decided to take in a meal, catered by Mexican food restaurant Macayo's. (The meal, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, and six alcoholic drinks were all included in the VIP package) Vocalist and keyboard player C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, bass player Allen McKenzie, and drummer Michael Foster rocked the crowd with the band's hits, "Don't Treat Me Bad", "All She Wrote" and "Love Of A Lifetime", along with many other great tunes. Since the sun was setting about this time and it was finally cooling off, the crowd began to perk up.

Somewhere around this time we ran into the members of BulletBoys. They had made their way out from the backstage area to mingle with those of us in the VIP area. I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Marq Torien. He told me that the band's new album will be out in early June, so we're really looking forward to that.

When Skid Row hit the stage the crowd roared to life. I had a heck of a time getting photos of the band because they were all over the stage! Scotti Hill (guitar), Snake Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass) and Dave Gara (drums) were in top form, while Johnny Solinger growled out the lyrics perfectly. I don't understand the criticism Johnny has received, because I think he does a superb job of fronting Skid Row, and the crowd at Desert Invasion obviously agreed with me. "Piece of Me" has been going through my head for days!!

Night Ranger closed out the event. Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra were amazing on guitar. Jack Blades vocals proved he can still "Rock in America". And, Christian Cullen (keyboards) and Kelly Keagy (drums) showed they've still got chops. I hadn't seen Night Ranger since I was 16 years old, so it was kind of wild seeing them again all these years later. I have to say I was pretty impressed with them.

Desert Invasion 2009 was one of the best times I've had in a long time. I hope this is something that takes place every year (maybe a little earlier in the year, though). It would be awesome if the event grew into a larger multi-day festival. Ahhh, we can dream!

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Review of:

Dokken - in concert

Reviewed by Tawny Khat on March 23, 2009
Photos by Tawny Khat


Please note: Due to technical difficulties we were unable to post photos prior to our publication deadline, but we've finally been able to upload them and are in the process of editing them right now, which is a very time consuming process considering the number of photos taken. The photos will be posted here as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.


It was a cool night on February 21, 2009, but not too cold. My promotions assistant, Anita Neuman, and I arrived at Club Red in Tempe, Arizona at 7:30 p.m., much earlier than we normally would arrive for a club show, but because we knew this particular show was sold out and parking is very limited we decided to arrive early in order to secure a parking spot. Apparently everyone else had the same idea because the lot was nearly full, but we managed to get a decent spot. Since the doors didn't actually open until 8:00 there was already a fairly long line of people waiting to get in. We got in line with everyone else. Unfortunately, there is not a separate line at this venue for those on the guest list to get in quicker, so we had to wait like everyone else. The line moved very slowly once the doors opened and the wait was made longer by all the rude idiots cutting in line. We could hear the first opening band take the stage while we were still outside, and we heard them finish their set, too. Finally, at 8:45 we made it to the door. There was a mix up with the guest list, so I had to argue with those at the door and the security guard before I was allowed in to locate the one person who knew I was on Dokken's guest list, Ron, the club's booking manager. As soon as I located him the snafu was cleared up and Anita and I entered the club.

Now, for those of you who've never been there, let me describe the setup of this particular club. It is actually two clubs in one. On one side is Club Red where the headlining band always performs. Club Red has the best sound system of any of the nightclubs in the Phoenix area, so when bigger name acts are doing a club tour this is the place they play. Then, when you walk through a doorway opposite the stage you enter the Red Owl club with its smaller stage, and with access to an outdoor patio for smokers (Arizona, like many other states, has banned smoking in virtually all buildings). What the venue does, so that you don't have to sit around and wait in between bands while one band tears down its equipment and the next one sets up theirs, is to alternate all the bands performing during each night. There are usually around eight bands scheduled each night, so after one band finishes playing on the Club Red stage you can go next door to the Red Owl to watch the next band, and vice versa. It's nice because you get continuous live music, no waiting.

As I said earlier, we missed the first band, so after we got in, and after saying hello to some friends we immediately ran into, we decided to head next door to the Red Owl to see what was going on. The band playing, and I'm sorry but I didn't catch their name, was okay but we thought we'd continue to the outdoor patio to see who else was there that we know. We ran into a ton of friends that night. That, in and of itself, made for a great time that night. By the time we got around to making our way back into Club Red, we were stunned by how full it had gotten in the short time we were on the other side. It was hard to imagine that any more people would fit into that room, and there were still people coming in, not to mention all the people in the Red Owl and out on the patio that would be making their way in when it was time for Dokken to take the stage. I understood why the club removed all but the VIP seating. The only other place to sit down and rest your feet was outside on the patio. We basically spent the majority of the evening milling around talking with friends as we waited for Dokken to take the stage around midnight. I spent a lot of time outside because it was so hot in the club. Nearly everyone I talked to agreed on that point.

When the last band before Dokken played the Club Red side I figured it would be a good idea to work my way to the stage to obtain a good vantage point for taking photos. As I made my way forward saying, "Excuse me," along the way, most people were kind enough to move aside and let me through. Unfortunately, when I was almost to the stage I ran into some of the rudest people I've ever come across at any concert, large or small. There were two big oafs with two bitchy chicks. I kept hearing them say, "Block everyone!" So, this one big goon kept trying to block me from getting in front of him. I tried to explain that I was there working the show for my magazine and I needed to get up front to take photos. He made a smart ass comment back saying, "Yeah right, you work for Rolling Stone." I was wearing one of my magazine logo t-shirts (the same ones I sell here and on MySpace), so I pointed to the logo and said, "NO, it's Electric Pussycat magazine." He just said, "Yeah, right," and continued trying to block me. Now it was no skin off his nose if I got in front of him. I'm 5'5" and he was easily 6'1" or 6'2", so he could see just fine with me in front of him. Well, experienced as I am about working my way through a crowd, I got in front of him anyway, which didn't make him happy, but tough shit. As it got closer to the time for Dokken to take the stage and with people jostling for a good view, there was naturally a little pushing and shoving. Anyone who's been to concerts knows that just goes with the territory. Apparantly the dumbass rude bitches who were with the two big oafs now behind me either had never been to a concert before or were just plain stupid, because they kept yelling at everyone and anyone around them who dared to bump into them. One of these ignorant broads even came close to starting a brawl with a girl near her who had to audacity to push the stupid bimbo through no fault of her own when she was pushed by the crowd. No one else was causing problems. In fact, it was like a rock 'n' roll family should be. Everyone was in a good mood, there for a good time, and treated one another with respect, with the exception of the group of morons behind me. I had to tell this story because I want to remind everyone that when we're all at a show, it is like a family. We are all there because we share a love for the same music, so we should always treat each other with respect and kindness instead of acting like ignorant assholes like the foursome I ran into at this show who obviously had limited IQs and were in need of some toilet training. Display some class and decorum and everyone will have a great time. Now on to the show.....

Dokken took the stage to the roaring of the sold out crowd of somewhere between 600 and 900 people. They launched into their first song, "Breaking the Chains." It became immediately obvious that the nasal surgery Don had undergone, along with his abandonment of cigarettes and alcohol, have made a dramatic improvement in his voice. His voice sounded much better than it did when I last saw Dokken four years ago. His vocals were strong, almost sounding like they did back in the 80s! The band was right on target, too. Their performance was tight and they were obviously having a great time, which always makes for a better show. After "Breaking the Chains" they went right into "Kiss of Death", an awesome tune. Dokken performed all their best hits that night including "The Hunter", "Into the Fire", "Just Got Lucky", "Alone Again", "It's Not Love", "Tooth and Nail", and more. Part of the way through their set I left my spot in front of the stage, which probably made the dumbass goon behind me happy, and went to the "backstage" area where Dokken's tour manager gave me access to the side of the stage so I could get some shots of Mick behind his drum kit. Then I retreated to the back of the room where I sat with some friends in the VIP seats for a bit. I even had to go out on the patio to cool off because it was soooo hot inside the club, and I wasn't alone. I was dismayed that I needed to go outside to cool down, because I missed 3-4 songs. When I went back into the club I spent the remainder of the show in the VIP seats. The band sounded fantastic. My promotions assistant, Anita, commented that she usually watches the guitarist or vocalist when at a live show, but at Dokken she was drawn to "Wild" Mick Brown and his skills as a drummer. He was beating the hell out of the skins! I always make sure to check out all the musicians at a show, and I was impressed with all the members of Dokken at this show. They performed with precision. It was a pleasure watching Barry thumpin' away on his bass. And, I was extremely impressed with Jon on guitar. He had been a longtime fan of Dokken and was greatly influenced by George Lynch, so he fits into Dokken like a hand into a glove. His style is similar enough to George's that he fills his shoes nicely, while at the same time displaying his own original techniques. I guess that's why he was able to help write an album that is comparable to early Dokken material. He really shreds on the solos, too!

I can't stress enough that if Dokken comes to a venue near you, you must go to the show. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. The band is at the top of their form. For tour dates and other info you can visit Dokken's MySpace page or their website.