JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE
The Chance Theater
Poughkeepsie NY
May 12 2017
One of the most distinctive voices in the 80’s was the lead singer of Great White, Jack Russell. I was finally going to get to see him perform a full set, after seeing him perform a couple of times at the M3 Rock Festival over the last couple of years and a failed attempt at a fiasco of a show in Maine a few years ago.
The one thing about seeing shows at The Chance Theater is that they do tend to throw a lot of local talent on the stage for their shows and tonite was no exception.
First up was a band out of Troy NY, Let Go Daylight. A four piece consisting of Dan Schleicher on drums, Zach Leffler (who by the way was wearing a L.A. Guns shirt) on bass, Ralph Renna on double duty of guitar and vocals and Michael James on lead guitar. As much as I like seeing new bands, they always seem to be plagued by bad sound and tonite was no different. I liked their music but they sounded a bit muddy and the vocals were to low.
LET GO DAYLIGHT
There was another reason I was wanting to be here for this show. Over the last couple of years there has been a couple of young ladies who have been making waves in the 80’s rock scene (well I dunno what else to call it, but among those of us who follow those bands formerly of big hair) one is Gabbie Rae, who I got to cover for NERR last year and the young lady who took the stage with her band after Let Go Daylight, Moriah Formica. I had the chance to hear her sing “To Hell With The Devil” with Stryper last year, and was looking forward to this.
MORIAH FORMICA
16 years old, she has a hell of a voice and tackled a couple of covers, Heart’s, “Barracuda”, a Led Zeppelin tune, for the life of me I can’t remember which one and the cover that started a lil’ feud between Michael Sweet of Stryper and Sebastian Bach, “18 and Life”. A couple of her original songs were also thrown into the mix. The set was well worth the trip and to be honest, she should’ve had the spot right Jack Russell’s Great White and not the next band that was up
Gregg Woods Band is another staple of The Chance, having seen them open for a few other bands there. Consisting of Gregg Woods singing and lead guitar, Rob Tuttle on bass, Louie Spagnola also on guitar, Tom Brown on drums and Meg Ryan also on vocals. They changed the pace a bit when they took the stage with a slower softer sound than Moriah, at least until their special guest took the stage to play with them on their last two song, another local legend guitar player, JJ Savage. I have to say the next generation is in good hands. JJ can shred with the best of them.
GREGG WOODS BAND
I have been to a lot of shows at The Chance, but the stage looked really bare for the night’s main attraction. No backdrop, no fancy drum riser, just simplicity. I liked it.
The crowd raised their fists and voices as the band took to the stage, Tony Montana and Robby Lochner on guitars, Dan McNay on bass, Dicki Fliszar on drums and the voice that brings them all together, Jack Russell.
The night started off with “Lady Red Light” and the crowd ate it up, singing along with Jack, who was back and forth across the stage. “All Over Now” came up next with Robby all over the place, a lot of eyes were on him as he spun around the stage. And into “Fast Road” and “Mistreater” So far the set has been a blast from the past, whetting the appetites of the many people in the crowd who spent the 80’s listening to these songs over and over on their record players.
A nod to the present day came about via the song “Sign of the Times” off of his latest album, “He Saw It Comin” lamenting the days of the past, before the net, the cell phone and the information overload of today.
Then the flashback to the past as the crowd listened to and swayed back and forth to “Save Your Love” Followed by the only time that guitarist Robby Lochner stayed still for more then 2 minutes, when he was able to show off his love of classical and his fantastic guitar playing abilities, his solo.
One of my favorite songs off of his newest album was next on the set list, a lil ditty about the monkey that had been living on his back, the deeply autobiographical “My Addiction”. Then back once again, to the 80’s with the song, “House of Broken Love”. After a short introduction about how the title came before the song, the crowd sang with him. With couples swaying back and forth.
Drummer Dicki Fliszar, had his moment to shine. A rousing drum solo that had the crowd on their toes and very loudly screaming their approval as he slowed down and they started into the next song on the set list, “Desert Moon”.and then another classic Great White song, “MistaBone”.
The crowd sing along was going in full force by this point and “Call It Rock N Roll” kept the pace going and the crowd once again erupted as the opening bars of “Rock Me” hit their ears. This was the beginning of the end as Jack and his crew ambled off the stage for a few moments before coming back out and treating us with what has become a staple, Jack singing a Zeppelin song. “Immigrant Song” once again had everyone trying to be Robert Plant and hit those notes that are ingrained in the soul of anyone who has ever listened to Led Zeppelin.
One of Great Whites best known songs, is in fact a cover song and everyone was waiting to hear that song written by Ian Hunter, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”
The night was over.
It is well known the trials and tribulations that Jack has endured over the years, and I will not go into them. What I will go into, is that he put a lot of energy into this show and his voice sounded great. Not the same as it did 20 or 30 years, hell we all age and as I will attest, not everything stays the way we want it to as we get older. The band sounded great, I don’t know how they do it, traveling as light as they do and using equipment they are not familiar with night after night, but they showed just how professional they are.
I enjoyed this show very much, my only complaint, I would’ve liked to have heard 1 or 2 more songs off of the new album, “He Saw It Comin”. “Blame It On The Night” would’ve been cool or even “Crazy” or maybe “She Moves Me”.
Jack Russell’s Great White is always on the move, check their website for tour dates and GO OUT and see him!
JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE
