Rock Show Critique

Concert Review
Geoff Tate
Thursday April 4, 2024
Town Ballroom
Buffalo, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto

It is hard to believe that my first time seeing Geoff Tate perform was with Queensryche 40 years ago down at the Aud. They opened for Kiss on the Animalize tour and I knew from the first time seeing them that they were unique. The band started their career by releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled EP. From there the band produced five masterpieces that still stand the test of time today. As Tate proclaimed after “Screaming In Digital” of how that song and “NM 156” some 34 years later are starting to make sense. Though the audience was heavily dominated by fans who grew up in the 1980s, there were some younger fans who got to see how much of an impact these songs have on the world today. Continue reading →

Concert Review
FireHouse
Janet Gardner
Saturday March 30, 2024
West Herr Riviera Theatre
North Tonawanda, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto

For the past twenty years the lineup for FireHouse has remain unchanged. Original members, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster and vocalist C.J. Snare were joined by bassist Allen McKenzie in 2004 and the band has remained intact, until the tail end of 2023. Snare had to have some surgery which led to the addition of touring vocalist Nate Peck stepping in while he recovers. After all this is a business and the band had touring obligations they needed to fulfill. Continue reading →

Ranking The Albums
FireHouse

Chris and Joe discuss and rank the six album discography of FireHouse. Check em out at The West Herr Riviera Theatre on March 30.

Concert Review
Styx
Saturday March 23, 2024
Seneca Niagara Event Center
Niagara Falls, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto

When it was announced on Wednesday that longtime bassist Ricky Phillips was stepping away from the band it left Styx fans surmising exactly who would take over those duties. After all Phillips had been in the band since 2003 and other than adding in guitarist Will Evankovich back in 2021 no member had left. It made for some interesting fun guessing who would be assuming the position. Who would take over on bass? Burtnick? Would Evankovich move to bass? Would (original bassist) Panozzo take over? All was revealed in Connecticut as Gowan, no not that Gowan (Lawrence) but Terry Gowan to be exact, the brother of keyboardist Lawrence was on stage. Continue reading →

Ranking The Albums
Dire Straits

Join Thom Jennings (Niagara Gazette), David Hens (Music N Other Drugs), Davey Cretin (Cretin Classics) along with Jospeh Suto as they rank and discuss the catalog of the Dire Straits.

Ranking The Albums
Ace Frehley

Chris Kiebzak and Joseph Suto give you a two for one! First we discuss song by song the new Ace Frehely album 10,000 Volts. The we go right into ranking the studio albums from Ace starting with his 1978 solo debut all up to and including 10,000 Volts. We did not include the two cover albums. Sit back and see where the new album lands among the rest of his catalog.