October 29, 2012 looked a lot different than October 29, 2013 in New Jersey. Jersey Strong. Restore the Store. On October 29, 2012 a storm some moron deemed ‘super’ ravaged and attacked the Jersey Shore, creeping into every corner of personal space and wreaked havoc in the homes and hearts of proud and loud Jersey residents. It sucked. Memories and boardwalk attractions washed down the street. Nostalgia and couches bopped up and down in the bay. The bridges broke but out spirits did not. Our ‘Jersey-F-U’ attitude was fully intact and provoked. We rebuilt. We restored. Jersey loud. Jersey proud. Jersey strong! That bitch Sandy was an uninvited guest into our homes so we treated her the way any good Jersey guy does when he wakes from his whiskey haze and realizes the chick he brought home is still in his house: “cab money’s on the table. Get OUT!”
On October 29, 2013, a new storm blew through the Jersey Shore, and like that Jersey guy after a night out, left us saying, “Sandy, who?” The day was somber but the night was electric. The absolute best medicine to a saddened heart is a good solid-old-school-in-your-face-rock and-MF-roll storm. Who better to supply the dosage than The Winery Dogs! The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ pulsated with, in my humble opinion, the best debut record of the year courtesy of this hodgepodge group of experienced and seasoned musicians.
The place was packed wall to wall and proved a “who’s who” of the local music scene. The turnout was one of respect and impressed even your most frequent concert goer. The chance to be so close to a handful of legends on stage was one you’d be a fool to miss. Mike Portnoy’s voice bellowed first and it was one that sent chills right down your spine. “We’ll never forget what happened a year ago today here!” The crowd erupted and we were all theirs for the rest of the evening. We knew they knew the importance of tonight and for that, we appreciated them even more. Respect. Portnoy almost seemed to conduct the music from behind his kit, using his drumsticks as a wand and his bass drum as a steady heartbeat. Although no conducting needed, Sheehan to stage left and Kotzen to stage right, appeared to have eyes in the back of their head and never lost ‘sight’ with Portnoy behind them. The chemistry radiating on stage from this powerful trifecta was contagious and only grew stronger as each song unfolded.
The Winery Dogs released their debut self-titled album in July of 2013 to rave reviews and overwhelming support. The album sold over 10,000 copies in its first week landing the 27th spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The crowd sang back and The Winery Dogs collectively acknowledged almost each and every fan as if looking them right in the eyes to say, “Thank you.” Portnoy pointed, Sheehan nodded, and Kotzen clasped his hands. They were humbled and so were we. Each took their respective turn in the spotlight and reminded us, just in case we were unaware, why this band is being considered the powerhouse group of the year. Portnoy masterfully and delicately destroyed his kit to an empty stage and a single spotlight. He tapped around and high as if he imagined a bigger kit than he was actually playing and lit up the entire room with his boom. Sheehan slapped his bass solo on stage to a crowd in awe and jaws too low to pick up. His talent sailed through the amps and his bass cried as he worked it hard and forced a sound so unique and so ‘Sheehan’ as his face seemed to enjoy every single sound vibrating between his strings. The hardest working bass strings in the industry. Kotzen took a turn to a darkened room and sang a song so rich in rhythm and evoking emotion even in the heart of the heaviest head banging fan in the crowd. “Doin’ What the Devil Says to Do” resonated with the tone of the night and manifested into a feeling right off the wave of The Winery Dogs setlist but still so dark and deep in the style of Kotzen. Alone on stage, Kotzen stood strong and seemed to lyrically manipulate the air in the room to twirl around the sound a single guitar makes over his grunge and gritty vocals.
The boys returned on stage as a collective unit and blended back into The Winery Dogs. As their set ended and the three veterans 
exited the stage, the crowd erupted in appreciation and admiration. No sooner, the fellas returned on stage for two encores in the flavor of covers. “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” has never had such a soul and the guys jammed a version the crowd was all too happy to receive. As if a special thanks for hanging out, The Winery Dogs finished with the Talas cover “Shy Boy.”
In my overly bias and all too Jersey opinion, this was the best show of the year. The respect The Winery Dogs showed to their crowd and to the night was beyond what anyone could have expected. The sound produced by these three seasoned pros was one of a true jam band and a group of guys that are happy to play. The album is solid and crafted in a way that appeals to all genres of music. There’s something for everyone. The live performance is something you must experience. The Winery Dogs is like catching lightning in a bottle. I’m sure that each night they gig sounds different than the last and the next. The mark of a true musician is skill and technique that transcends beyond the lyrics and the notes on an album. Portnoy, Kotzen, and Sheehan restore the balance to the ever changing and autotuned world of music. On October 29, 2013 they also helped to restore the Shore.
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PORTNOY | KOTZEN | SHEEHAN
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The Winery Dogs – Time Machine Music Video (Official)
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