As a musician, touring cities and countries far from home can be exciting. You get to play for audiences of diverse cultures and backgrounds while seeing the vast offerings of Earth. That in mind, there is still nothing like coming back home. In fact, nothing compares to getting a chance to play for the people who have been there since the beginning. Doing just that, Long Island, New York legend Dee Snider, famed frontman for one of the most notorious Rock bands of the 1980s, Twisted Sister, had his hometown feverish in anticipation ever since the announcement his solo band would be performing at The Paramount in Huntington on Friday, November 3, 2017.
A treat for all area Rock-n-Roll S.M.F’s, Snider once again proved he is an unstoppable force in music. A successful career spanning 40 plus years, Snider has done it all – from movies, to music, to radio, to broadway. Through it all, he has never wavered an ounce when it came to bringing an irresistible Rock show, especially to his friends and family on Long Island. With support from New York area bands Voices of Extreme and Killcode, walking up to The Paramount, one could feel it was going to be a special night. Then, as the doors opened around 7 PM, a near capacity crowd filed in for a night of beer and Rock-n-Roll!
First up was Long Island’s own Voices of Extreme. Abbreviated to VOX, the Heavy Metal trio made their debut back in 2005, currently consisting of Vocalist/Guitarist Don Chaffin, Bassist Steven G. Knight, and Drummer Bobby Marks. Since then, VOX has toured with big names in Rock/Metal including Tesla, Metal Church, and Geoff Tate.
Armed with their latest EP, MACH III, they hit the stage hard, filling the room with a heavy dose of Metal. Song after song, VOX slammed the walls with their strong sound, all while curbing the appetite of the entire room. Thanking Snider and their Long Island family for a great night, VOX closed the set with a cover of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and showed why they are a band well-worth checking out.
A polished, quintessential frontman – Morrissey – delivered the goods as he kept the crowd engaged with Killcode’s infectious mix of Southern/Modern Rock with a touch of Classic Rock. The energetic crowd really enjoyed a killer set of well-written kickin’ tunes like “6am Again,” “Hands Up,” “Shot,” and “The Wrong Side” that only got better as the band played on. As Killcode closed their set, Morrissey also expressed gratitude to Snider for taking them on the road. Really getting the night going, Killcode plan to release a new album very soon, so be on the lookout!
All this said, the buzz filled the air of The Paramount, and after “Bad To The Bone” played over the P.A., radio personality JP of Long Island’s 102.3 WBAB introduced to the stage a man he is honored to call a friend in Snider. From there, Snider stepped foot on stage, owning the night as his band kickstarted the title-track from the aforementioned We Are The Ones. From this point on, The Paramount was the place to be as Snider and company pummeled an insane crowd of Rock-n-Roll disciples with other songs such as “The Kids Are Back.”
On a more somber note, Snider explained that earlier in the week his 85 year-old mother had been hit by car and had just woken from a coma. A terrible accident, he explained playing this show would help him get through this difficult time as he felt music had done in the past. Acting like one big family, the audience graciously cheered in support as Snider carried on with “Close To You” in dedication to his wife before the defiant “Rule The World” took a stand for the meek. Then, one of the more interesting moments of the night came when Snider explained being in a solo band afforded options unavailable in Twisted Sister. One of those being the use of a synthesizer to cover Nine Inch Nails “Head Like A Hole,” a track off We Are The Ones. Going on to perform it live, the crowd ate it up and encouraged the experimentation.
Thereafter, raising the middle-finger in the air, along with several hundred loyal audience members, “So What” gave a powerful and crushing message of not taking crap from anyone. Speaking of not taking it, Snider provided a glimpse into his softer side as he dove into the piano version of Twisted Sister’s incomparable “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” This was before he assured the audience some more heaviness with “Don’t Worry” as he and his band tore into the original version for an all-out. never-ending sing-along.
At this juncture, the night was still young and the special moments kept coming as Snider began to address the untimely passing of many great artists over the last couple of years. He spoke fondly of artists like Lemmy of Motörhead and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park before introducing the next song – in tribute to Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell with a cover of their song “Outshined.” Again speaking highly of Cornell and the incredible talent we lost, the crowd was extremely into the rendition, which was all in all a great tribute. For one more tribute, Snider went even more personal, dedicating “The Price” to his fallen Twisted Sister bandmate, the late A.J. Pero, who sadly passed away in 2015.
All fitting and tastefully done, Snider soon picked up the tempo, rocking into “Crazy for Nothing” before tearing it up via the searing “Burn in Hell.” Now winding down the show, everyone knew what was left as the seasoned vocalist pumped up the room by having everyone practice saying Rock! a few times heading straight into “I Wanna Rock.” Never more alive, the crowd soared with the chorus while throwing fists in the air and having the time of their lives. For what would have been a flawless conclusion to the show, as the band walked off stage, the crowd waited patiently, not budging until Snider came back out for the encore. Returning with a merry cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” it was merely a bonus to a great show.
This was a night to reconnect with his homebase, a night where Long Island united as one dysfunctional Rock-n-Roll family. Still, all these years later, the fanfare for Dee Snider is as strong as ever, and Long Island’s hunger for Rock is as strong as ever. Now Snider joins Hatebreed Frontman Jamey Jasta on a heavier new album. A yet to be named record that Snider calls “True Metal,” keep your eyes peeled for a 2018 release. Until then, catch Dee Snider and his band next time he comes to your town for a rowdy good time!
Purchase We Are The Ones:
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