DOROTHY

With Joyous Wolf and Classless Act

Paradise Rock Club
Boston, Massachusetts
April 20, 2022

Photos & Review by Micael LaFleche

BOSTON, Mass. – It was a fantastic night for rock ‘n’ roll in Beantown at the Paradise Rock Club. I may have mistaken myself mistakenly transported to the Sunset Strip with the sights and sounds of Dorothy, Joyous Wolf and Classless Act playing their Southern California feel-good metal music. The HOLY GHOST TOUR with the aforementioned acts was a great blend of offerings for the admiring Boston crowd.

Great opening group of smiling hard rock up and comers Classless Act started the show with a bang. The band is led by Derek Day swooning and screaming like Axl Rose throughout the night, Dane Pieper, who is a great guitarist doing his utmost best with ease, Griffin Tucker who plays with finesse and style, Franco Gravante providing grooves on the bass, and Chuck McKissock, prototypical rock drummer, setting the coolness standard in the band. The group is tight and it seems like they all really like each other. The set was great, songs listed below, even a crazy good rendition of Guns n’ Roses’ “Civil War” sounding even better than the real thing. The audience was chanting the band name by the end of the show and quite possibly could have stolen the show, but I think it makes the next two bands up the ante in their performance so they were not outshined by these great young rockers, that I am now a big fan of.

CLASSLESS ACT photo gallery

Set list:
This is for You
Give it to Me
All That We Are
Cry
I’m the Storm
Civil War
Classless Act

The Orange County, California based and was next. Joyous Wolf are Nick Reese (vocals), Blake Allard (guitar), Greg Braccio (bass) and Robert Sodaro (drums). The band is less raw than Joyous Wolf, more evolved hard rock charged with the sensuality and acrobatics of Nick Reese performing high vocals and doing the split, pole-vaulting into the crowd and all sorts of other dance antics along the way. The guitar work was amazing throughout the set and the audience was starting to really get into the groove and appreciate what they were witnessing. The set provided us with the following hits. My personal favorite of the night was “Karma” where the sound of the band hit their height, and once again, felt like another place with Nick with Steven Tyler-esque moves with a young Aerosmith type sound backing him up. Full energy show, for sure.

JOYOUS WOLF photo gallery

Set list:
Quiet Heart
Get Myself Right
In the Shadow
Storm
Fearless
Karma
Place in Time
Juniper
Mother Rebel

Rounding out the show is Dorothy Martin and her self-titled band who has been lighting up rock clubs since 2014. Dorothy is high energy, feel good metal music. Sort of reminds me of a harder rock version of Cher, with Dorothy’s leather look, and curly black locks, rhinestone makeup and outstanding stage presence and lyrics. The band is hard rock at its finest with Devon Pangle on guitars, Jason Ganberg providing the percussion, Eli Wulfmeier also on the guitar and of course Eliot Lorango providing the bass line. Dorothy is highly engaging, even at one point interacting with an audience member with a laying on of hands that made it feel like rock ‘n’ roll church during what I think was “Ain’t our time to die.” Other highlights were the haunting cover, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)” with Dorothy calling up her best Annie Lennox and giving her a good run for her money. The Band had a great mid-show jam showcasing the great high energy talent. I really didn’t know much about Dorothy before tonight’s show, but I really have to commend the band and all the acts at tonight’s show with the professionalism, smiles and genuine great music.