Thursday saw The Winery Dogs take over the Northern Lights Casino on their Midwest tour swing and from the reaction during the show, no one left feeling disappointed. Talking to a few attendees made it clear that the band members were pulling in fans of their respective pasts to see what this present endeavor had to offer.
The history of the band dates back to the pairing of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) & Billy Sheehan (Talas, DLR, Mr. Big) and their search for a singer/guitar player. On the recommendation of legendary radio host Eddie Trunk, the rhythm section was hooked up with Richie Kotzen, whom Sheehan had previously been in Mr. Big with. Kotzen is maybe best known for the song "Stand" on Poison's Native Tongue album, though he has been highly active for many years as a solo artist.
The album was released in mid-summer and has seen the band travel the globe in support, which brings us to this fall night in southern Wisconsin. The band kicked off with album opener & first single "Elevate". It was clear from the first verse that Kotzen would be in fine voice this night. Sheehan & Kotzen were spot on during the dual-tapped main riff.
Portnoy provided much energy from behind the kit, pointing out fans in the crowd & banging on imaginary drums not present in his stripped-down, non-prog drum setup. I've seen Portnoy get some heat for "scaling down" & not doing prog anymore, but I will say this: he had perma-grin all night. He is clearly enjoying the music & energy this band brings. No one in rock can pull that much double bass from a single bass drum.
Sheehan was, well, Sheehan, with a little more attitude than I remember. He made his bass growl all night long, providing a lot of freedom for Kotzen to create on the fly. "Time Machine", with it's grunge leaning opening riff allowed Sheehan to really dig into the fretboard & build a nasty bottom end. I will never cease to be amazed by Billy's gymnastics & unorthodox style, that allows for such creativity while still holding the song together. His bass solo, which had the room standing in anticipation, segued nicely into the Portnoy-penned "You Saved Me", built around an absolutely beautiful cross-handed bass line.
Richie Kotzen. Richie Kotzen, in all honesty, should own the musical world. His natural ability to play, sing, & emote is criminally underrated. For a man known for shredding in the late '80's, he's a hell of an impressive vocalist; equal parts Hagar, Prince, a little Cornell, some Coverdale, a hint of Daryl Hall... there's a little something there for everyone. What isn't debatable is this is one talented musician who may have found a vehicle to launch him in the US, albeit a little late.
There were several highlights throughout, including some excellent prog-influenced Sheehan/Kotzen tapping on "Not Hopeless". Gritty non-US bonus track "Criminal" could easily be given to rock radio right now. Ethereal ballad "The Dying", with it's haunting chorus, really allowed the band to show their ability to transition styles.
Personally, the highlight of the show was Kotzen's solo spot. Pulling out an acoustic guitar, Kotzen eschewed "Stand" from earlier shows & inserted the seminal "Doin' What The Devil Says To Do" from Into The Black. That let into the angry "You Can't Save Me" from the same album & the upbeat Mr. Big song "Shine".
The encore consisted of Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell In Love". A strange cover, but somehow it seemed to fit in the show. Set closer "Desire" allowed for a fun breakdown and a nice closing.
Overall, the crowd was very engaged, cheering the efforts of three phenomenal musicians blending their talents into a cohesive, song-oriented excursion. I must give kudos to Northern Lights for their sound mix. Excellent clarity & power, allowing all the band members to shine through.
The Winery Dogs offer up something not around much currently: great musicianship & professionalism, melded with solid songwriting, married to just the right amount of fun. This band could really become a force in rock music given the chance and from the power & energy of this show, I don't see how they won't be.
