Concert Review
KK’s Priest
LA Guns
Burning Witches
Wednesday March 13, 2024
Town Ballroom
Buffalo, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
KK’s Priest rolled into town at the Town Ballroom Wednesday night. Initially the show was to be at the Riverworks but was moved two days prior. The decision to move the show was a stroke of genius as the Town Ballroom made the show seem more intimate than if it had played the expansive Riverworks complex.
KK’s Priest of course is the band put together by former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing. This tour makes his first time playing the shores of North America since 2009 when he last toured with Judas Priest. Downing and his band sounded impressive considering they’ve only played a handful of shows on this run of dates. Buffalo was lucky to have been chosen to host a KK’s Priest date considering the many acts that seem to elect to pass by.
Joining Downing on guitar was AJ Mills, bassist Tony Newton, drummer Sean Elo and on vocals, the one and the only Tim “Ripper” Owens. Owens is no stranger to Downing of course having played with Downing in Judas Priest for seven years. The band mixed in three songs from each of their two albums during their set along with a slew of Judas Priest covers.
If there was ever a band deserving of a large crowd in the setting the Town Ballroom provides its LA Guns. The band always puts on a stellar show whether they are playing to a packed house or not. One time LA Guns played to 31 people at the old Club Infinity (I counted). It was great to see the biggest crowd this band has played to in Buffalo perhaps since its appearance opening for AC/DC at the Aud all the way back to 1991.
The band is currently still promoting its latest album Black Diamonds released in 2023. It was good to see guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis smiling and enjoying their time up on stage. Ever since the two reunited for the umpteenth time back in 2016, they really seemed focused on getting the band back to being the best it can be and the energy on stage was amazing.
The band has remained intact with its lineup since 2022 when drummer Shawn Duncan came aboard. The band has been notorious for all the lineup changes in their long career. The performance shows how well these guys play together despite a short 45-minute set. They definitely left their mark on the crowd.
Opening the evening was the five-piece all female Swiss band Burning Witches. The band consists of guitarist Romana Kalkuhl, bassist Jeanine Grob, drummer Lala Frischknecht, vocalist Laura Guldemond and touring guitarist Courtney Cox. They played a very fast energetic set closing with a solid cover of Dio’s H
“Holy Diver”. The show marked the first back for Kalkuhl since her back issue forced her to miss some shows. She played from a chair in the rear of the stage. Hopefully these gals return so we get a full set with everyone healthy somewhere down the road.
Overall an extremely satisfying package despite what some may call an odd lineup. These are they type of shows we need more of in this city.
KK’s Priest Gallery
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LA Guns Gallery
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Set Lists
KK’s Priest
Hellfire Thunderbolt
One More Shot at Glory
The Ripper (Judas Priest Cover)
Reap the Whirlwind
Night Crawler (Judas Priest Cover)
Burn in Hell (Judas Priest Cover)
Beyond the Realms of Death (Judas Priest Cover)
Hell Patrol (Judas Priest Cover)
Brothers of the Road
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
Breaking the Law (Judas Priest Cover)
Victim of Changes (Judas Priest Cover)
Encore
Strike of the Viper
Raise Your Fists
LA Guns
Cannonball
Electric Gypsy
Over the Edge
You Betray
Sex Action
Speed
Never Enough
The Ballad of Jayne
Rip and Tear
Burning Witches
Unleash the Beast
Wings of Steel
Hexenhammer
Lucid Nightmare
The Dark Tower
Holy Diver
