Formed down in Kennesaw, Georgia in the late ’80s, Hard Rock band Jackyl quickly became known for high energy, highly entertaining live shows, stunts, and antics. Proving so early on, in 1992 when Kmart department stores refuses to sell the band’s debut album, Jackyl decided to drive a flat bed truck loaded with amps to the front of one of their stores to perform live in the parking lot. Selling more than a million copies in the United States that album went platinum and set the ground work for what has been a successful, lengthy career. Lead by the famous Jesse James Dupree, with long-time bandmates Jeff Worley (guitar), Chris Worley (drums), as well as newer member Roman Glick (bass), Jackyl hold the record for playing one hundred times in fifty days, once holding the record for 21 concerts in 24-hours. With that said, regardless of the snowy season that New York has sustained this past February, amid the slush and freezing temperatures, Saturday the 21st Jackyl rolled into Amityville to host a Rock show at Revolution Bar & Music Hall. Presented by WBAB and Fingers Metal Shop Live, Jackyl was ready to stay true to their name and push the boundaries of Rock-n-Roll, but most importantly party. Having a good time is the ultimate goal, and after seven studio albums, two best of compilations, as well as three live records, the party has only grown through the years. With the support of Snake Canyon, Mudcat, and hometown heroes Killcode, Jackyl was greeted by a nice size crowd ready to take a break from an otherwise miserable winter evening.
Up first, Snake Canyon is a band from NYC who made the trek for the sake of the fans and Rock-n-Roll. Singer Morgan “Super Morgan” Liebman, a son of Amityville, New York, seemed happy to be back in his hometown as he addressed the crowd gathered toward the front of the stage. The band began their set with “No Apologies” and “Devil,” two original hard grooving Rock songs held down by the rhythm section of Vance Garcia on the bass and Texas Clamp on drums. Guitarist AJ delivered hard driving riffs throughout handling rhythm guitar duties with ease, while Joe Hogan ripped leads. Vocalist Liebman has the great, old school rasp of a Taime Downe as the band blasted through “Life on Mars,” “Knife in my Pocket,” and “Blackout 77.” Snake Canyon proved to be a legit Hard Rock outfit from NYC, with all the grit and scuff one would expect, making for a strong start to the night.
Long Island locals Mudcat took the stage next, playing mostly covers along with a few rocking original tunes thrown in. Consisting of John Golden on vocals and guitar, Steve Culotta playing lead guitar, Tom Dolan on bass, and Gary Worrell on the drums, they put on a high energy performance with abundant stage presence and musicianship. Rocking tracks like “Losing you” by The Faces, “Mama Kin” by Aerosmith, and “I Don’t Need no Doctor” by Humble Pie, they skillfully captured the essence of the time, and added original songs “Mercy” and “The Black Rose,” a song that features dual leads between Golden and Culotta. Mudcat is coming into their own and with a strong local following watch for them to broaden their reach very soon.
The time came for Long Island’s heavy hitters, Killcode with their brand of Heavy Rock-n-Roll featuring a Southern flair and slight Metal edge. These guys have been really turning heads as of late and are currently in the studio with Life of Agony’s Joey Z working on a brand new record. Having played some of New York’s finest venues, they once again found themselves sharing the stage with Rocks elite at Revolution. From the moment they took the stage vocalist Tommy Morrissey had control of the crowd and never let go. Standing right out front and looking over the swell, Morrissey oozed charisma as he directed the band and the audience participation like a Hard Rock maestro. Guitarists, Chas Banellis and DC Gonzales along with bassist Erric Bonesmith and drummer Rob Noxious churned out song after anthemic song to the delight of the crowd. Looking sharp, Gonzales jammed hard on songs lke “Bad Mother,” and “Hands up.” Meanwhile the combo of Bonesmith and Noxious held it down during “6am Again.” Then Banellis began “Hands up” with a lone intro as the fans immediately took the cue, raising their hands in anticipation. Overall, Killcode is keeping Hard Rock alive, not only with their music, but with their attitude. Certainly a throwback to the bad ass rockers of decades ago with a modern sound carrying Rock through the new age.
After a nice mix of New York Rock warming up the stage, it became time for the Southerns Jackyl to claim the stage of Revolution. Beginning their set with Worley, Worley, and Glick settled into a bluesy Rock and Roll jam, they engaged the audience, saying hello and setting an intimate tone right away. With such a start this felt like a basement jam with a few hundred close friends hanging out, and that is the best kind of show. Thereafter, Dupree made his way onto the stage and everyone knew that the party had begun. A naturally gifted entertainer, Dupree quickly got the crowd involved reciting, “Rock me, Roll me….” to which the crowd responded… “Jackyl me off !” Then it was right into, “My Moonshine kicks your Cocaine’s ass” off of their 2010 album When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide. The hard driving story, told in the style of Jackyl, ignited plenty of audience participation and the high paced energy continued with 1996’s “Mental Masturbation.” Worley high-fived members of the crowd between tasty blues licks, until the breakdown, then it was Dupree who really got the room going, enticing everyone to repeat after him. Next up was Rap Rock song “Encore” as Dupree started off the tune busting a rhyme while Worley and Glick laid down a funky groove. Worley used his thick heavy guitar to quickly transform the song into a Hard Rocking anthem which had all moving on the floor.
Keeping the mood going,”Screwdriver” came before one of their biggest charting hits “Down on Me,” a hookey anthem that put them on the map. Bringing on more new tracks “Favorite Sin” was followed by the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” before a little ditty sing along from the popular southern comedy show Hee-Haw. Bringing on the sweet drinking ballad “Secret of the Bottle” from 1994’s Push comes to Shove had the crowd joyfully reciting every word. Already providing an entertaining reprieve from the winter weather, Jackyl brought the biggest surprise and rattled out a slew of tracks from their classic debut. They began with their first single, “I Stand Alone,” followed by “When Will It Rain,” going into “Dirty Little Mind,” then “Redneck Punk.” Playfully Dupree went on to compare making sweet love, to cornbread as they went into “She Loves My Cock,” before a sing-a-long rendition of “My Ding a Ling,” which kept the mood happy and loose. Saving the best for last, the finale came with “The Lumberjack.” As a staple of the bands music, Dupree soloing on a chainsaw throughout, only to end it with cutting and smashing a stool on the stage before firing off his shotgun mic stand as climax of the fantastic performance.
These Southern Hard Rock pioneers sing about sex, drinking, and making Rock-n-Roll music. Their dynamic live performances have entertained audiences for decades and there is no end in sight. Duprees’ gigantic personality and spirited interactions with the crowd has made Jackyl the ultimate Hard Rock Party band. The entire band hung out after the show and took pictures, signed autographs and talked with all the people that braved the nasty weather to have a blast with Jackyl. Back on the road in 2015, Jackyl are kicking ass on tour all over the US, so do not miss out on the action.
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