Tom Keifer’s had the same day job for the last 30 years as the voice of the band Cinderella. You remember those guys, don’t you? They were part of the whole “hair band” movement in the 1980s. The band has remained active by touring over the years, but they haven’t released any new material since 1994’s Still Climbing.
Tom decided to hit the road to help promote his first ever solo album The Way Life Goes, which released on April 30. The tour opened on February 9, 2013 at Ziggy’s in Winston Salem, NC and is still going strong!
I was lucky enough to be at the inaugural date of the tour. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the show, such as who was going to be in his solo band and what surprises would be found in the set list. On that cold night in North Carolina, the fans began to line up early and brave the cold temperature for a chance at a good spot close to the stage to witness history being made.
All questions were about to be answered as Tom took the stage and opened with “Sick For The Cure” from Heartbreak Station. He looked and sounded great. I know a lot of people there were questioning how Tom’s voice was going to sound. He has suffered from nodules on his vocal chords as well as paralysis of the left cord. Well, there were no signs of wear and tear and he sounded like classic Tom. That raspy, gritty voice that we all have come to love was still there and just as powerful as ever.
Tom pulled up a bar stool and things took an acoustic turn for the next four songs. The first selection was a slowed 
down, bluesy version of the Cinderella classic “Shake Me”, which seemed to get a mixed reaction from the crowd. On one hand, many thought it was a cool version to perform, but quite a few wanted to hear the classic rocked out version. He then welcomed his lovely wife Savannah Snow to the stage who performed a beautiful duet with him on the song “Ask For Yesterday.” It was nice to have that curtain pulled back as we got a glimpse inside Tom’s personal life. The looks that they shared and the smiles were priceless. That was followed by “The Flower Song” – the first single from Tom The Way Life Goes and it received a great reaction from the crowd.
The pace picked back up as things went electric again with “Solid Ground.” If there was fear that Tom was mellowing out on his new album, this song solidifies that his new material rocks just as hard as any Cinderella classic. Savannah took to the stage again to duet with Tom on the emotional 80s power ballad “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone).” This was yet another great performance shared with his lovely wife that really gave us a glimpse at a tender, personal side of Tom. He closed the set with a kick ass version of “Shelter Me,” which had many people shaking their head because they had forgotten how great that song really is. The encore consisted of a cover of the Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Gypsy Road.”
Watch the “Solid Ground” Video:
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The night was a great mix of electric, acoustic and blues. There were a few moans and groans from the audience about certain Cinderella songs that weren’t played, but I sort of expected that going into the night. On the other hand, many fans were commenting on how awesome the new songs from his solo album sounded. It was also nice to hear some Cinderella songs that normally do not get played live. On a special night like this one, it’s almost impossible to please everyone, but Tom gave it his all.
Tom has a solid, top-notch band for his solo tour which includes Billy Mercer on bass, Paul Simmons on drums, Tony Higbee on guitar and Paul Taylor on keyboards. I was really surprised at how tight they sounded, especially since it was opening night. The show didn’t have a lot of flash to it, as it leaned heavily on letting the music speak for itself. Tom Keifer is still rockin’ out on the road, so check the tour dates below to see if you’re lucky enough to have him and the band coming near you and pick up The Way Life Goes!
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READ THE NEW INTERVIEW WITH TOM KEIFER ON ROCKREVOLT HERE!
