The Hard Rock Rocksino lived up to its moniker on Saturday June 11, 2016, when a duo of acts graced their stage that define what classic rock is all about.
Whitesnake brought their Greatest Hits tour to the area, and along for the ride was the super group/power duo Whitford/St. Holmes.
Let ‘s start with the opening band. Deriving their name from the two leaders of the group (Bradley Whitford, of Aerosmith fame and Derek St. Holmes, the lead singer of Ted Nugent’s band), Whitford/St. Holmes is a powerhouse – a wall of sound that smacks you around like the punk ass you are. Starting the set with a slate of original music, this five-member ensemble smashed through a roughly 45-minute set that, while amazing all the way through, really came to life when they performed a medley of songs from what Whitford described as their “day jobs”. That, of course, meant songs from the Aerosmith and Ted Nugent catalogue.
“Last Child” and “Train Kept A Rolling” freaking smoked as these dudes schooled the audience in the art of classic rock, but nothing could have prepared us for the awesomeness that was “Stranglehold”. Metal perfection is the only way I can think to describe it.
After a quick set change, it was time for the feature act – new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Coverdale was in town and had assembled his band, Whitesnake, once again for a Greatest Hits performance, and they hit the stage already cranked to 11!
The thundering riffs of “Bad Boys” kicked off what would end up being a nearly 2-hour tour through the catalogue of one of the best heavy metal acts ever assembled. Next up was the audience favorite, “Slide it In”, that had everyone in attendance singing at the top of their lungs. It was at this point that it was obvious we were in for a very special night.
Hit after hit – performed to near perfection – followed, and the capacity crowd danced with and sang along to each and every song. “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, “The Deeper The Love”, “Fool For You Lovin”, “Sailing Ships”, “Judgment Day”, “Slow N Easy”, “Is This Love”, “Here I Go Again” and of course the amazing, “Still Of The Night”.
This line up of Whitesnake is a well-oiled machine – a heavy metal force of nature that owned the venue and everybody in it on that muggy Ohio night. Each member had their turn in the spotlight as Coverdale, one by one, led the members into powerful solos. Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra traded guitar duties and both showed a level of expertise that was exciting and breathtaking to behold. On bass was Michael Devin, and he thundered through his solo – and every song he performed. Michele Luppi handled the keyboard duties as well as the bulk of the backing vocal duties. And rounding out this powerhouse was iconic drummer Tommy Aldridge. I had the honor of hearing Tommy performing many years ago when he was the drummer for Ozzy, and here, nearly 30 years later, he is still the thundering master of the skins he was then. An amazing drum solo that ended with him smacking the skins bare handed!! It was a true treat to behold, and it really did leave all in attendance staring in awe of this man and his amazing ability.
Coverdale sounded fantastic. His voice and delivery have always been, continues to be, and will forever be the defining sound of not only Whitesnake but of that entire period of heavy metal history. Although proclaiming to having a “summer cold”, his voice seemed no worse for the wear as he hit all the high notes, growlsm and assorted other vocal trickery that has become synonymous with the Whitesnake sound.
Coverdale and Whitesnake will be continuing their Greatest Hits tour, and I can’t recommend strongly enough checking them out if they come anywhere near you. You can see the latest dates by checking out the bands official site and socials on the links below.
Connect with WHITESNAKE (click icons):
Review by Dave Dreher, Rock Revolt Contributor
