Airbourne & American Dog At The Basement – Columbus, Ohio – 4/22/13
FIVE YEARS!!! I can’t believe it has been nearly five years since I have seen Airbourne play the last time! Airbourne rarely plays in the Cincinnati/Columbus, Ohio area, so when they announced a Monday night show in Columbus, Ohio, I knew I had to make the drive up for the show. Before the show began I talked to several of the fans in attendance, and for many, this was their FIRST Airbourne show. I would guess that after the performance that the band put on, this will be the first of many Airbourne shows for the fans in attendance.
Columbus, Ohio’s American Dog opened the show, and played a killer set of rock & roll to warm up the crowd. I have seen American Dog many times in the past, and somehow I always forget just how badass guitarist Steve Theado is. He is an impressive guitar player, that deserves far more attention than he gets. Talk about under rated. Theado’s picture should be in the dictionary under that word.
I loved every second of American Dog’s set. The band has the perfect amount of energy to complement Airbourne’s live set. This would be a killer national tour, even if it was on a club scale. I have to make it a point to see the band play again sometime this year. If you haven’t ever heard American Dog before, think Ted Nugent meets Motorhead, or something somewhere in between there. The band is a three-piece act led by former Salty dog, and Dangerous Toys bass player Michael Hannon on vocals, Steve Theado on guitar, and Michael Harris bashing the skins. Don’t miss them if they come to your town to play. Check out their new CD “Poison Smile”!
And now to Airbourne. What can I say about Airbourne that I haven’t said many times in the past. If you get the chance to see the band play live, by all means GO! You will not have a bad time at an Airbourne show. When Joel O’Keeffe and company take the stage, they put off enough energy to power a city. Their live set may not have pyro, big flashy video screens, or all the crap the big tours have, but the electricity the band emanates while rocking out is second to no other band out there.
This is the first time I ever got to see the band headline a show, and I wish I could have seen them play even longer. With a new CD “Black Dog Barking” ready to hit the streets in a few short weeks, I would have loved to have heard more songs from the new album. Airbourne did play “Live It Up” from the new album, and the new tune is as awesome live as the first time I heard it online. (Check it out in the clip below)
The Basement in Columbus, Ohio offered me the experience of a lifetime. I got to see Airbourne play only inches from the stage. That was a tremendous thrill for this old rocker. If anything, Airbourne made me feel even older. Even with earplugs (thanks Leanne), it took me three days to recover from the ear ringing, and lack of sleep I had Monday night/Tuesday Morning. It was all so very worth it to me.
Joel O’Keeffe is a terrific front man! He is always full of energy, and always has a few funny faces to offer the fans while rocking out, and he always finds away to interact with the crowd, even if it means soaking them with some beer. I don’t know how David Rhoads and Justin Street don’t get whiplash from all of the headbanging they due during the show. While Joel gets the majority of the attention, Rhoads and Street add to the frenzied energy that Airbourne offers up in their live show. Airbourne’s set was as tight as ever, the crowd at The Basement fed off of the band’s energy all night. There may have only been a hundred people there, but it felt like there was a thousand. It was a tremendous night of rock and roll, and one that I won’t ever forget!
Airbourne’s Set List:
Raise The Flag
Born To Kill
Diamond In the Rough
Blonde Bad & Beautiful
Hellfire
Chewin’ The Fat
Girls In Black
Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women
Live It Up
Black Jack
Too Much Too
Encore:
Stand Up For Rock & Roll
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awesome review my friend, it was a killer show!!!