WORDS BY DAVID TAYLOR AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine
On Tuesday, May 16, Ugly Kid Joe rolled into Lincoln, Nebraska to play the Bourbon Theatre. These hard rockers have not been on a proper US tour in nearly thirty years, so what an honor to behold to have them stop in Nebraska. Along with Georgia rockers Pistols at Dawn and Lincoln’s own Paisty Jenny, it was one hard rockin’ Tuesday!
Lincoln’s Paisty Jenny was the one to start the night off right. Though they have been around since 2004, they have never crossed my radar until Tuesday night. They laid down a solid footing for being Nebraska’s premier hard rock band. Lead singer Gregg Lee had strong energy and a damn good voice to carry the band toward the end of their set. Having a slice of home be a part of this rocking bill was so cool.
The direct support of the bill came from Atlanta’s own Pistols at Dawn. If you’re not familiar with my work for Go Venue, I covered this band opening for Alter Bridge in KC in March, so for the most part, I knew what I was getting into. This performance topped March’s performance for me. The band’s camaraderie with one another was outstanding. They even performed a cover of Alice in Chains’ “Man in a Box”. The crowd was into it. They shouted out Honest Abe’s in Lincoln, saying they went there twice in one day, as well as 104-1 the Blaze. I’m hoping they come to Omaha because I believe they will have an amazing reception. Check out their album, Ascension.
Finally, it was SoCal’s own Ugly Kid Joe to take the stage. I love it when bands dress in street clothes. Just nothing visually special, except their camaraderie and musicianship. Lead singer Whitfield Crane had such charisma onstage, never seen a guy who had so much fun with the audience. The twin guitar attack from Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman was exceptional, just incredible guitar whalers. The audience sang along to their hit songs like “Neighbor” and their cover of Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”. The band set its foot down on no encores, which you have got to respect. They played a riotous cover of Motörhead’s Ace of Spades and then went into their signature song, “Everything About You”, to wrap up the night. I hope this isn’t the last US tour because I think audiences around the country should witness this band give it their all because they deserve it. Their latest album, Rad Wings of Destiny, is now available.
Ugly Kid Joe
Pistols At Dawn
Paisty Jenny
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