Extreme and Living Colour Rock Chicago Area

by Tom Wojcik with photos by Roman Sobus

Hard Rock Live - Gary, IN - Thursday, August 17, 2023

Boston rockers Extreme hit the Chicago area on their "Thicker Than Blood Tour," their first appearance in the area since their "Pornograffiti Live - 25th Anniversary Tour" in 2015. Kicking off with "#REBEL" from the band's latest album, Six (their first album in 15 years), the band then jumped into usual opener "Decadence Dance," follow by "It's (A Monster") and continued to bring the house down hit after hit.

Gary Cherone brought out his inner David Lee Roth throughout the entire show - jumping, wailing, and flaunting his stuff as he established himself as the uncompromising center of attention. Skinsman Kevin Figueiredo thrashed around the drums relentlessly all night and fit in perfectly as the only non-original member on stage.

Later in the set, underrated bassist Pat Badger helped croon the intro to "Hip Today," off 1995's Waiting For The Punchline, just before the Boston four-piece laid out a montage of hits from their eponymous 1989 debut - "Teacher's Pet," "Flesh 'N' Blood," "Wind Me Up," Kid Ego," before jumping into "Cupid's Dead" (from 1992's III album) and the heavily-rotated MTV classic "Hole Hearted." A very well-balanced mix of their catalog and barely half-way through the nearly 2-hour show.

There was no lack of audience participation as guitar superhero Nuno Bettencourt, sporting a leg brace from his recent basketball injury, invited the crowd to have a seat during his "favorite part of the night where I can sit down," as he showcased some nuanced finger mastery he has been known for since his teenage years.

Nuno's crushing riff on "Banshee," the third single released from Six, kicked the crowd back to some headbanging. To say he has invigorated the current rock genre with his guitar showmanship would suggest there was an absence, but telling by the audience momentum, Nuno firmly holds his place as a guitar icon now more than ever.

"Get The Funk Out" had Cherone screaming as Bettencourt's dazzling guitar solo wowed the 1,000 plus fans in attendance.

Grammy winners Living Colour opened the show with a short cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock & Roll" which warmed up the crowd throats for a long night of good time rock and roll. The NYC band displayed a short tribute of "Nothing Compares To You," a nod to the late Sinead O'Conner. And as the 46th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death was the day prior, they churned out 1990's underground hit "Elvis Is Dead," as vocalist Corey Glover addressed that "Elvis has left the building." Having another iconic guitarist in the form of Vernon Reid, the highly influential guitarist blazed through "Glamour Boys" and some select hip-hop and other covers, like their previously recorded version of The Clash's classic "Should I Stay Or Should I Go," before hitting their landmark anthem "Cult Of Personality."