Big Rock Show: Velvet Revolver, Alice in Chains and Sparta

 Rawk Shows   

Nothing like a big rock show to end your weekend. Especially if you got comps to the show. However, it is less cool when your regular show partner(s) in crime decide to be responsible and study or blow the show off to watch the Chargers (haha sucker, that’s three hours of your life that you’re never getting back.) But I am a trooper and I went by myself and had a relatively good time all things considered.

First up was Sparta, who I’ve seen before and totally love. They sounded great - even on such a big stage and playing for the few hundred people who decided to show up early. The last three songs were great - “Erase It Again” and “Taking Back Control” were stellar. They ended with “Air” from their first release. I thought it was cool that Jim Ward mentioned that it was Mexican Independence Day - he knows what’s up since he is from El Paso.

Next up was the reunited Alice in Chains, led by Jerry Cantrell with William DuVall on lead vocals. DuVall gained instant cred by wearing a Black Flag tee and won me and the crowd over with his surprisingly good vocals. I swear, if you closed your eyes, you would think it was a reincarnated Layne Staley. They tore through a great set of songs and had the crowd singing along to classics such as “Down In a Hole”, “No Excuses”, “Man in a Box”, “Would?” and their set ending “Rooster”.

After an interminable wait, the crowd was all geeked up for Stone Temple Roses...er, Velvet Revolver. I think I was in the minority when I thought it was lame they turned off the house lights and played an NWA song to introduce the band. What was not lame was having Slash’s silhouette behind the curtain when the lights did go up. Very rock and roll. Slash was definitely who I was keeping an eye on - he is amazing. Weiland seemed to be a little subdued and not his acrobatic self. He explained that he rolled his ankle yesterday. (They performed at KROQ’s L.A. Invasion.) After about 30 odd minutes of just Velvet Revolver songs, they busted out an STP classic - “Vasoline”. That seemed to make Weiland turn it up a notch. But I only stuck around for a couple more - including a great version of GnR’s “Patience”.

My leaving early was no indication on Velvet Revolver’s performance - I’m sure that anyone at the show would gush at how good they were because the crowd was filled with fans that were totally into it. More power to all of them.