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March 2016 | Issue #45 Concert Listings - 06

Natalie La Rose - 08 The Long Run - 12

Crywolf - 14Gary Clark Jr. - 16Gregg Allman - 17

Nikki Hill - 17Bryan Adams - 18Alan Parsons - 22

Experience Hendrix - 26Dokken - 27

Nothing But Thieves - 27Roxy Roca - 28

Def Leppard - 30Mute Math - 31

Dellacoma w/ Jasin Todd - 32Reverand Horton Heat - 34

Unknown Hinson - 35Igor and the Red Elvises - 35

Nashville Pussy - 35Queensryche - 36

PUBLISHERSean McCloskey

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SENIOR EDITORTodd McFliker

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

Tom CraigPaul EvansAbel FolgarClaire KeyesLarry Marano

Sean McCloskeyTodd McFlikerJay Skolnick

Melissa A. SmithJason ValhuerdiAlanna VilaneJoseph Vilane

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facebook.com/SFLMusic

ADVERTISING [email protected]

COVER PHOTOSean McCloskey

SFL Music Magazine is published monthly in Sunrise, Florida. All contents are copyright The Sweet Music Group, Inc. 2016 and may not be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

CONTENTS

6 | www.SFLMusic.com

GO SEE IT LIVE!March 3 New Found Glory – Culture RoomThe Nighthawks – Funky BuscuitThe Moody Blues – Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FLThe Nightcasters – Trio Live

March 4 Trombone Shorty & The Soul Rebels – Revolution LiveWalter “Wolfman” Washington – Funky BiscuitSippin’ Fire – Trio LiveNew Found Glory – Churchills Pub

March 5 103.1 WIRK’s Rib Round Up – Perfect Vodka AmphNicky Jam – American Airlines ArenaBuckCherry – Culture RoomThe Crush – Trio LiveKidnapped! Joe Jack Talcum, Coolzey – Churchills Pub

March 6 Michale Graves – ChurchhillsSteve Miller Band – Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FLMichael Graves – Churchills Pub

March 7 August Burns Red, Between the Buried and Me – Revolution LiveThe Saturday – Anonymous Guitars

March 8Karaoke Night – PropagandaThe Brass, Menudo Death Squad – Churchills Pub

March 9Drowning Pool – Club VixensThe Band of Heathens – Funky BiscuitJam Night – Trio LiveCreepoid, Holly Hunt, Shroud Eater – Churchills Pub

March 10 Tyga – Revolution LiveDenny Laine – Culture Room

March 11 AC/DC – BB&T CenterDonavon Frankenreiter – Culture RoomCharlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band – Pompano Beach Amph.Forlorn Strangers – Funky BiscuitJoel Da Silva and the Midnight Howl – Trio LiveBattalion of Saints, Phobia, Ladron – Churchills PubDeception – O’Mallys

March 12 Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime – Revolution LiveDonavon Frankenreiter – Culture RoomMobb Deep – ChurchhillsNick Moss Band – Funky BiscuitAdam Lambert – Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FLForeigner – Magic City CasinoNobody’s Fault – Trio Live

March 13 Houndmouth – Revolution Live

March 14 Steel Panther – Culture Room

March 15 Rihanna – American Airlines ArenaNervosa, Nekromaniak - Churchills

March 17 Rancid – Revolution LiveFruition, Crazy Fingers – Funky BiscuitMickey Rickshaw, 1916, Party Flag – Churchills Pub

March 18 Get the Led Out – Culture RoomJP Soars – Funky Biscuit

March 19 Less Than Jake – Culture RoomMess O’Blues Festival – Pompano Beach Amph.Femme Fest 2016 – Churchills Pub

March 20 Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Cryptopsy – Revolution LiveLess Than Jake – Culture RoomKC & the Sunshine Band – Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FL Moonriver Cabaret – Churchills Pub

March 22 Karaoke Night – Propaganda

March 23 Rusted Root – Revolution LiveThe Baseball Project – Funky BiscuitThe Bunny Gang – Churchills Pub

March 24 Saosin featuring Anthony Green – Revolution LiveThe Movement – PropagandaNRBQ – Funky BiscuitBongzilla, Black Cobra – Churchills Pub

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March 25 Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire Perfect Vodka Amph. Earphunk, Dangermuffin – Funky Biscuit

March 27 Hippie Sabotage – Culture Room

March 27 Dub Village Sundays ft: Dezarie with Stephen Marley – Revolution Live

March 29 Logic – Revolution Live

April 1Of Montreal – Culture RoomDuran Duran – Bayfront Park Amphitheater

April 2CrawDebauchery Music Festival – Pompano Beach Amph.

April 3CrawDebauchery Music Festival – Pompano Beach Amph.

April 5 Stick Figure – Culture RoomLiving Colour – Revolution Live

April 6 G Love & Special Sauce – Culture Room

April 7Napalm Death, Melvins, Melt Banana – Culture Room

April 8 Pearl Jam – BB&T CenterAaron Neville, Funky Meters – Pompano Beach Amph.

April 9 Pearl Jam – American Airlines Arena

April 14Meat Loaf - Pompano Beach Amph.

April 15 Air Supply – Magic City Casino

April 16Puddle of Mudd – Club Vixens


Natalie La Rose97.3 Hits Sessions @Revolution LivePhotos: Sean McCloskey

Charge By Phone: 800-745-3000. All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. Ticket prices subject to applicable fees.

UPCOMING CONCERTS!UPCOMING CONCERTS!


The Long RunBoca Black BoxPhoto: Sean McCloskey

14| www.SFLMusic.com

CrywolfCulture RoomPhoto: Sean McCloskey


Gary Clark Jr. The Fillmore Miami Beach

By Todd McFlikerPhotos: Jay Skolnick

Combing blues, funk, neo-soul and hip-hop, the Gary Clark Jr. performance was spectacular on Friday, February 19th at the Fillmore in Miami Beach. In support of 2015’s adventurous release, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, the 32-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist prodigy from Austin, Texas enraptured the young audience with brilliant solos. Mixing older hits with new material, Clark steam rolled through a 90-minute set that truly amazed South Floridian concertgoers.

Mr. Clark has quite an impressive career. His two albums of originals and live release appeal to a fresh crowd due to their eclectic mix of blues with soul, funk and reggae. As a direct result, his concerts are not filled with the normal blues crowd. Rather, it is a new generation hearing the inspirations of B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. And he can shred with the best of them. Topped with such high energy onstage, Clark brings a unique sound and feel to his own Texas twang.

Opening act Muddy Magnolias set the mood for the exhilarating evening, and Clark took control of the stage at precisely 9:30. With the help of electric wails and a demanding voice, the virtuoso schooled South Florida about waking up in New York City with “Bright Lights.”

Every member of the general admission floor was on their feet, singing and dancing, loving every second of it. Clark stood center stage with a scruffy beard under a cowboy hat and a dark orange leather jacket. Dressed in a pimpin’ retro outfit with flashy rings, he created magical feedback from his amps. Surrounded by three other talented musicians, Clark relied on zero stage props, with the exception of four pillars, each containing dancing blue light bulbs.

Clark’s impressive set was made up of harsh solos by every musician onstage, performing a fair mix of older and new hits, as well as a couple of unfamiliar tunes and even a cover. Miami Beach experienced the new album’s R&B pounder “Grinder,” “Cold Blooded” and “Shake.” Selections off of 2012’s Blak and Blu included “Numb” and “When My Train Pulls In.” Clark delivered one cover, a fantastic version of Albert Collins’ “If Trouble Was Money.” For a lengthy encore, the crew returned to their stage to deliver six more ditties, including a soulful version of “Church,” the B.B. King inspired solos in ”Stay” and Down to Ride.” Throughout the evening, Clark played a variety of axes, including a gorgeous red Gibson SG, Fender Strat, and his signature collection blue Epiphone Casino. Chatting was kept to a minimum, as Clark occasionally asked how the crowd was doing and expressed his appreciation for our support. “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,” he said. “I feel pretty good, pretty good.”

It’s pretty damn cool to see such a young cat putting his hip-hop take on the old-school sounds, keeping the blues alive for the next generation of music lovers.

Nikki HillRiverwalk Blues Fesival

Photo: Jay Skolnick

Gregg AllmanSouth Beach Food & Wine Festival

Photo: Jay Skolnick


Bryan AdamsThe Fillmore Miami BeachPhoto: Sean McCloskey


Currently on Tour, Alan Parsons Discusses the State of the Music Industry, His Hands-On Workshop in Miami and Who is Left on his Bucket List

SFL Music: The Alan Parsons Live Project Greatest Hits Tour will be doing four shows in Florida, concluding in Boca Raton on Valentine’s Day. Are you excited to be heading down to the Sunshine State?

Alan Parsons: Of course we are excited. It’s the best time of the year to be down there, isn’t it?

SFL Music: It sure is. Is the weather what stands out to you when it comes to performing in South Florida?

Parsons: That and the usual tourist hubs. I almost bought a property in West Palm Beach once. But for some reason, it didn’t come together. It was before I was remarried. I love

it down there.

SFL Music: Besides anniversary rereleases and vinyl singles, you don’t seem to be putting out any new albums. Why is that?

Parsons: It has a lot to do with the state of the industry. If I made a record now, it might sell 50,000 copies. And that wouldn’t even cover my costs to make the record. I have been putting out singles periodically. I think it’s more of a singles market these days. The only people selling albums are the Lady Gagas and the Rod Stewarts of the world.

I am not saying it will never happen, but I more focused on the live show. We’ve also got a new symphonic DVD coming out in May. That was recorded in Medellin, Colombia. It’s a full-blown symphony orchestra.

Alan ParsonsBy Todd McFliker

Photos: Tom Craig

SFL Music: What can you tell me about the 2-day Art & Science of Sound Recording class that you have been conducting?

Parsons: It’s an educational master class. It’s all about giving people the chance to spend time in a genuine recording session. We’ve done some in the past all over the world. We’ve had various local talents come in and make a record. As many as twenty people can sit in, participate and watch the whole thing as it happens.

SFL Music: How do the master classes connect to the Art & Science of Sound Recording book and 3-DVD set from 2010?

Parsons: Has it really been more than 5 years already? (Laughs) The book is much more recent. The book was compiled (in 2014) as a companion volume to the DVD series. These classes are essentially in support of the DVD series and the book. You can achieve so much more in person at the studio than you can trying to represent it on film or in a book. The experiences are very different. To this day, nobody has successfully captured on film what it really feels like to be in a recording session, just because of the time it takes. You might spend all day doing the vocals and nobody wants to see that (on DVD).

SFL Music: Do you get to spend personal time with every student in the master class?

Parsons: Yes, a little bit of time. I like to take a few minutes to talk to everybody. And everyone is encouraged to participate and ask questions. Some are more active than others. But generally, it works well as a constant Q&A while we are working. It is actually very tough on the artists, because they have to put up with long pauses while I explain things to the delegates when they ask questions. But we have been fortunate to have some real gems of talent who are prepared to put up with all the questions that get fired at them.

SFL Music: You are extremely well-versed, from singing to playing keys, guitar, bass and others. What’s your personal favorite? Parsons: The studio is still my favorite. Compared to the other people in the band, I feel underqualified to play live. I get by. The recording studio is still my

home. It’s the place I grew up with and the place I love. If I had to pick one instrument, I’d say the guitar. It’s always been my instrument. Surprisingly enough, a vinyl album just came out in the UK of a band I was in back in 1969. It was a blues band called Earth. If you can find it out there on the internet, you might be interested in hearing it.

SFL Music: You love working in the studio. But do you enjoy it more than being onstage?

Parsons: I wouldn’t say that I necessarily enjoy it more. It is just that I feel more at home and more qualified to be in a studio than I do on a live stage. The playing live experience is extremely enjoyable. The traveling gets me down sometimes, but performing is great fun.


SFL Music: In 2014, you told a reporter about your disappointment with starting a biography with a ghostwriter in the Nineties. Have you ever started your autobiography? Parsons: No, I have not. But it is still something I want to do. I can’t say when it will be. It may be when I retire from playing live. I am still not ready to hang up my hat. If I can find the time, I suppose I can do it sporadically. There’s a lot to say.

SFL Music: Do you think you are going to hang up your hat one day?

Parsons: Oh, for sure. (Laughs) I am not getting any younger.

SFL Music: Who or what turned you onto literature, like Edgar Allen Poe?

Parsons: I am almost scared to say that I don’t get to read much. I just don’t seem to have the time with my music career and a home life. Of course, I like to read on planes while traveling. It is usually thrillers, not highly regarded literature. I can read a magazine cover to cover.

SFL Music: Is that different than it was in 1976 when you made the concept album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination Edgar Allan Poe?

Parsons: I think everybody is introduced to Poe at school. I certainly was. I loved reading his stuff because they were mostly short stories. They weren’t thick volumes that you had to read. You could enjoy a story or two, and then put it down until the next day. Poe had an incredible usage of the English language.

SFL Music: Being an 11-time Grammy nominee with 10 studio albums, 14 compilations and 28 singles, what’s your personal favorite accomplishment?

Parsons: (Laughs) I haven’t heard those statistics before, but I am sure it’s well researched. Just the accomplishment of being around in the business for over 40 years is an achievement in itself. There are certainly one-hit wonders and people who just disappear overnight, and I have managed to keep myself alive in the business for all this time. Presumably I’m doing something right. So my main feeling of accomplishment is just being here and not fizzling out.

SFL Music: In your long and impressive career, you’ve worked as a recording engineer on the best of the best, from Abbey Road and Let It Be to Atom Heart Mother and Dark Side. Do you get sick of talking about the Beatles and Floyd?

Parsons: I think that I have exhausted all of the comments that I can make on those. I accept that they are part of my

past and they will always be with me. I just get sick of guys coming up to me and asking ‘What was it like working with the Beatles?’ (Laughs) If there was a specific topic that they would ask, I would be much happier. But I do get sick of that question, ‘What was it like working with the Beatles’ or ‘What was it like working with Pink Floyd?’

SFL Music: Well I did my homework and came up some specific questions. If you are up for it, I’ll give them a shot. You once called the Beatles pranksters. Did they ever pull any pranks on you?

Parsons: No, I was fortunate in that respect. I was the most junior person in the room at 19 years old. I think they were more pranksters by reputation than anything I actually observed. But it is well known that they all had prankish senses-of-humor.

SFL Music: Do you have any regrets about not taking a political stance against the Israelis or Palestinians and upsetting Roger Waters?

Parsons: No, I have no regrets at all. I said it at the time, music is an international language that should cross borders between rivals. I have never turned down a gig on political grounds. Except maybe when the promoter says, ‘It’s not safe to come here right now.’ But if it is based purely on political views, the answer is ‘No.’

SFL Music: Is there anyone on your bucket list that you haven’t worked with, like Jimmy Page?

Parsons: I have actually met both Page and Plant when I was running Abbey Road Studios in the Nineties. They were making an album. I am obviously a Zeppelin fan, but not so much that I would say it’s a missing chapter from my life. If I got the chance to work with any sort of super group, it would be The Who. But I did work with (The Who bass guitarist) John Entwistle. We did Beatles tribute tours together.

SFL Music: What else can Alan Parsons fans look forward to?

Parsons: We have tours lined up in Europe. That includes Italy and Spain. I think we are also doing Las Vegas, Kansas City and a few more in March. So we are keeping busy live-wise. And I will be heavily promoting the symphonic DVD when it comes out in late spring.

SFL Music: To wrap things up, what else do you want to share with South Florida music fans?

Parsons: I just hope that if anybody has avoided the experience of coming to see our show, that they change their mind on this occasion. Because I think we put on a good show. We would love to see anyone who has even the vaguest interest in the records of the past. Coming and hearing it played live is a very different experience.


Experience HendrixHard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL

By Todd McFlikerPhotos: Sean McCloskey

Known as the “Guitar Event of the Year,” this years’ Experience Hendrix Tour at Hard Rock Live on February 24th was nothing short of spectacular. Legendary blues artist Buddy Guy was joined by a handful of other prodigies, including the extraordinary Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s drummer Chris Layton and Jimi’s bassist Billy Cox to pay homage to the greatest guitarist of all time. The brilliant musicians took turns awing spectators with phenomenal fingerwork through timeless numbers, including “Stone Free,” “Foxy Lady,” “Love or Confusion” and the distortion-heavy “Are You Experienced.” Performing in front of trippy Jimi images on a giant monitor above the stage, just about every talented artist was dressed low-key in denim and button-downs. The astonishing Mr. Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne’s former guitarist, sported an extensive beard under long bushy hair that hung over a yellow and black striped axe. Looking like a biker that just stepped out of an MTV Headbangers Ball video, his hands moved with too much speed for the eye to see their precision. Following a dazzling recreation of “Manic Depression,” Wylde asked “Can you dig it?” and introduced the band. The man then made his way to the floor and walked roughly 25 rows back while soloing in “Purple Haze.” Upon returning to his stage, Wylde toyed with his instrument behind his head. The showboating would have made Jimi proud.

Before performing “Killing Floor,” Grammy-winner Keb’ Mo’ played an acoustic ditty and told the crowd “I’m going to church when I leave here, after I gamble and get drunk.” Jonny Lang, who delivered modern blues to the Nineties, joined Wylde onstage to sing “All Along the Watchtower,” and Grammy-winner Eric Johnson was welcomed to the stage to do “Fire.” The highlight of the evening was Kenny Wayne Shepherd presenting the

interstellar hootchie kootchie of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” with a whammy bar.

Kenny Wayne ShepherdSeptember 2015

West Palm Beach

Buddy GuyOctober 2015

Hollywood

After Zappa did “Wait Until Tomorrow,” Billy Cox was welcomed to the stage. The audience was then introduced to Jimi’s personal friend from Chicago, Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Guy. Sporting a blue button-down with white polka dots, blue jeans and a white baseball cap, the multiple Grammy-winner explained that we’re going down to Louisiana and played “Rock Me Baby.” Throughout “Hey Joe,” Guy shook his head to the beat, while flaunting a contagious smile.

At the end of the evening, every guitar sensation made his way back to stand beside one another onstage and show love to Jimi’s musical genius, as well as to their South Florida concertgoers. The Experience Hendrix Tour was astonishing for classic rock and guitar enthusiasts of all ages. His inspiration is timeless. As Buddy Guy stated in a press release, “Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest guitar players ever and we all need to keep his music alive.”

Nothing But ThievesRevolution LivePhoto: Sean McCloskey

DokkenPompano Beach Amphitheater

Photo: Sean McCloskey


SFL Music: Taye, so Roxy Roca is getting ready to come perform on February 23rd at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton.Taye Cannon: Yup, we are on the road now with our winter tour. We’ve been to Colorado and across the Midwest. We’ll be in Georgia tonight and we’ll make our way to Florida.

SFL Music: And all of this touring to promote your new album, Ain’t Nothin Fancy, and it has already been a year. Cannon: Yup, we’ve been hitting it pretty hard. Roxy Roca did 220 shows last year and we’re still truckin’. We plan to go back to the studio to record in May. But right now, we are still touring hard.

SFL Music: Have you been down to Florida before?Cannon: Sure, we’ve been down a couple times. We played the Biscuit once. It was a nice crowd that was ready to dance, excellent sound and we had a great time.

SFL Music: You guys are from Texas, right?Cannon: Yes, we are from Austin, Texas. I grew up in Alabama, Mississippi and outside of Nashville. But I’ve been in Texas since 2001. We started in Roxy Roca about 6 years ago.

SFL Music: With more than 200 shows last year, did you get around the entire nation?Cannon: No. We still have the Northeast on deck for April. That’ll be the first time we’ll be up there since the record came out. We’ve spent a lot of time in Colorado, Florida and

the Southeast in general. Texas is pretty vast. It’s always nice to play some shows in our home state. We may be hitting California in September. So we are getting there.

SFL Music: Being from Texas, is Stevie Ray Vaughan one of your heroes?Cannon: I don’t think you can live in Austin, and Stevie Ray not be one of your heroes. We all listen to him and he is a part of our lives.

SFL Music: Who are your biggest influences?Cannon: There are a bunch of guys. James Brown is a heavy influence. Marvin Gaye, Rod Stewart, Joe Jackson and Eric Burdon, especially the stuff he did with War.

SFL Music: I guess it goes without saying that the Beatles and Zeppelin are on that list as well.Cannon: Of course. I love rock and roll, so that has all influenced me. For me, the Stones are huge. But I can hear the Beatles coming out of a lot of guys in the band when we are touring.

SFL Music: What can you tell me about Roxy Roca’s new CD/DVD package, Live at The Music Club?Cannon: We are very excited about it. This is the first time we’ve left town with it. It’s something we did at a very hip spot in Austin called the Spider House Ballroom. It’s run by this guy Richard in Austin. He really has a big passion for music, and that comes through in audio and (vivid HD) video stuff that he does for bands. We are very proud of how it came out and we are looking forward to sharing that with

By Todd McFlikerPhotos: Jay Skolnick

Roxy Roca

people at our shows.

SFL Music: When was Live at The Music Club made available to the public?Cannon: At the end of January. It’s not available in stores yet. Right now, it is exclusively on the road with us. We are very excited about it. You can get it on vinyl with the download available. There is also a CD/DVD combo with plenty of live footage. It’s very cool. At some point, it will be available to the general public. I believe it’ll be sometime in the middle of April.

SFL Music: As the singer, do you ever get to play any instruments onstage?Cannon: I dabble a little bit with the guitar, but not onstage. I am still a beginner. I just throw down with conviction. But just singing with these guys is a dream come true for me.

SFL Music: Do you have a favorite city or a favorite venue to play?Cannon: Memphis has a really great feel. We’ve been well received there. Both Florida and Colorado have also been great, as far as the people dancing and being into the music. It’s too early to name a favorite. For now, I would say Austin because that’s home to us. Places like the Blackheart have been really good to us. It’s an old house downtown that was converted into a bar on Rainey Street. They always have quality entertainment. The stage is right where the living room used to be, so there’s a real house-party vibe to it all.

SFL Music: Do you have a favorite song to play live, or does your audience seem to have a favorite?Cannon: We do this thing at the end of our shows called ‘Happiness Is a Choice’ and the band does its vamping. I have a heart to heart talk with the audience. It has a really fun vibe to it all, and I really enjoy playing that tune quite a bit.

SFL Music: Do you play any obscure cover onstage?Cannon: We try to stick to our original material, although we do old B-side soul stuff that we dug up from the archives and try to give them new life. For instance, we do a song called “Can You handle It” by Eddie Bradford and other really great tunes that don’t get heard as much as they deserve to. We do our covers by finding old songs like that to throw into our sets.

SFL Music: Do you have any cool stories about rock stars you’ve worked with, like Trombone Shorty?Cannon: Trombone Shorty is an extremely nice guy. We met him at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade last year in Jackson, Mississippi. He is very humble and very outgoing. There is definitely no rock star attitude with him. We didn’t spend a lot of time with him, but he did make it a point to come backstage to introduce himself. He seemed genuinely interested in our band and we got to chit-chat a bit. The highlight of that was meeting Bobby Rush, the old school blues legend (from Louisiana). He must be in his 80s now. He was the ‘King of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.’ We had been playing one of his tunes, “Hoochie Man,” for years, and I was able to meet him. That was very special, especially since it was the same day that we played with Trombone Shorty.

SFL Music: Do you guys get to change up your set-list every night?Cannon: Yes, for sure. We do mix up our set-lists every place we play. It’ll change because of how long we’ll be onstage and how many sets we’ll do.

SFL Music: So what’s next after this tour?Cannon: We’ll be back in Austin playing some parties. We’ll be in Texas for about half a month. Then we’ll go back out for our first run through the Northeast with this record, from Brooklyn to Chicago. I am looking forward to that.

SFL Music: Where do you want Roxy Roca to be in 5 years? Would you like to be selling out arenas?Cannon: I would not be upset if we were selling out arenas in 5 years. (Laughs). That’s a pretty good goal to have. Our connection with a live audience means a lot to us, and keeping that alive is a major part of what we do. The live show is special and people feel better when they leave our shows. As long as we get to continue doing that with a broader audience, we’ll be living the dream.


Def LeppardBB&T CenterPhotos: Sean McCloskey

MutemathRevolution LivePhoto: Sean McCloskey


Sitting outside of the Poorhouse in Fort Lauderdale Florida, Dellacoma Rio approaches our table. One of my friends says, “I swear I have a picture of you and Michael Hutchence side-by-side. The resemblance is uncanny.” Another friend chimes in with, “Do you get that a lot? Comparisons to Michael Hutchence?” Del nods, and in his charming Australian accent says, “I’ve never been able to grow facial hair. One day my mother points to a picture on Facebook and says, “See Son, you can to grow facial hair,” to which I responded, “Mom, that’s not me. That’s Michael Hutchence.’” I stop laughing long enough to ask “Can I quote you on that?” to which Del responds without hesitation, “Yes you can.”

It’s hard to argue Del bears a strong resemblance to the late INXS-front man Hutchence. In static photos he even invokes a young Robert Plant. On stage however, he is undoubtedly his own rocker man. He is Dellacóma Rio, and any comparisons made prior to him taking the stage are forgotten when he takes the mic.

I’ve seen Del perform with his band Dellacoma on multiple occasions, but tonight I’m treated to one of the very few limited engagements with Jasin Todd of Shinedown and Fuel. They take the small stage together, Jasin sitting on a stool, and Del standing behind a scarf-embellished microphone stand. A few people mill around Poorhouse, unaware that music is even

starting, until it does. Rio and Todd open the set with “Sunburn” by Fuel. Within a few short verses the front of the stage is crowded with people who may have come to see the show, or may have come to just hang out in one of Fort Lauderdale’s bar districts. By the time Del and Jasin finish their cover of Alter Bridge’s “Watch Over You,” they have a captive audience. Whether or not they arrive as fans, they will leave as fans.

Says Del, “I met Jasin while I was on tour last year, he was filling in for a band that we supported. He was kind enough to give me his phone number and before you know it I’m back in Australia, we’re texting and I just floated the idea and he was keen...then here we are! I threw out the idea to a couple of venues I knew of and before I knew it we had 10 shows lined up over 11 days. Neither of us were interested in doing a ‘cover show’ so we put together a setlist made of songs from 2 of his previous bands (Shinedown and Fuel), my previous band Sunset Riot, some of my new stuff and a few carefully chosen covers we both enjoy. We pretty much rehearsed on our own, got together the night before the first show and went for it!”

Regardless of the amount of time spent together prior to their show, the chemistry between them is obvious. Del and Jasin operate on the same level; they have the same rock and roll spirit, a similar and infectious energy that extends to the crowd. They run through an acoustic, but not dressed down, version

Dellacoma With Jasin Todd

By Robin Ervolina

of Dellacoma’s “My Kinda Woman.” The audience is singing along to a song they’ve likely heard for the first time tonight. Del is on the stage, then he’s on the bar, then he’s running outside the venue and down the street, mic in hand, while Jasin continues playing with passion and ... this intangible Jasin-thing that can only be described as genuine humility coupled with unbridled talent. Del is back on the stage again, Jasin is smiling, standing next to his stool, standing on his stool. The energy that they impart to us is infecting them too. A girl in the audience leans over to me and says, “I caught their show last night in Melbourne [Florida]. Del went outside and climbed a tree during his set.” I reply, “I can believe it.” They close the show with their unique version of “Simple Man” and the house is mesmerized.

Later I have a chance to chat with Jasin about the tour and his collaboration with Del. Jasin tells me these few short weeks of performing and traveling have restored his passion and love for music and for people. I tell him I’m grateful, and I am. He tells me he’s ready to go back to Nashville and make music, and help others make music -- in other words, do what any Shinedown and Fuel fan knows he’s meant to do.

I can’t wait to hear what an inspired Jasin Todd has planned after this tour is over. The tour is over now, by the way. Del is back on the road, traveling through the US with his band Dellacoma Rio (and if you have a chance to catch them on the road I highly recommend it.) As to whether or not Jasin and Del will ever collaborate again, my money is on, please-God-yes, but I have nothing to back that up outside of a, “You never know. Maybe if we find a drummer and a bass player. I like Florida.” So if anybody plays drums and bass and is looking for gigs, I’ll throw a penny in the wishing well and meet you at the front of the stage. Hell, I’ll make it a dollar.


Reverand Horton HeatCulture RoomPhoto: Tom Craig

Nashville PussyCulture Room

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JASON EHRHART,WOUNDED VETERAN

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