Finnish rocker Michael Monroe returned to US soil for his first time since 2016, and nearly 14 years since playing the Chicago area (Reggie's in 2011), hitting the Arcada Theater in suburban St. Charles, as his band blazes across America on ten select dates from coast to coast.
In a recent interview, Monroe states that touring in the US "Is kind of not worth it. Unless you get to play to a big amount of people every night, or opening for a stadium sized band, you're just wasting money."
Luckily, the glam rock pioneer put that mindset aside and delivered one hell of an unforgettable performance. Playing a nearly 2 hour set full of classics, kicked off by fist-pumping Hanoi Rocks anthem "Dead, Jail or Rock & Roll," into the eponymous title track of his 2022 solo album I Live Too Fast To Die Young, the 62 y/o legend ran the gamut of his catalog dating back to 1981.
Monroe's youthful energy and magnetic charisma is matched by his touring band, consisting of fiery guitarists Steve Conte (NY Dolls) and Rich Jones (Ginger Wildheart), bassist Todd Kerns (Slash), and drummer Karl Rockfist (Danzig, The Chelsea Smiles).
Juggling multiple harmonicas, or his trademark saxophone, or the scarves draping his mic stand, Monroe and company delivered perfect versions of Hanoi hits and newer songs from Monroe's Demolition 23 and miscellaneous solo projects. Throughout the night Monroe weaved and bobbed through the aisles racing to the back of the theater and climbing seats (and heads) on his way back on stage, never missing a beat between songs.
Most of Monroe's second half of the show leaned heavily on the Hanoi classics, closing out the set with Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Up Around The Bend," (from 1984's Two Steps From The Move) before returning for a 3 song encore, finishing the evening with "I feel Alright," which included a tease of "Radar Love" by Golden Earring.
Warming up the early Sunday night crowd was Donnie Vie, former vocalist for hometown heroes Enuff Z'Nuff. Vie has been performing as a solo artist, releasing a new single "Party Time" in 2021, and his voice sounds as great as it did when "New Thing" and "Fly High Michelle" were fresh back in 1989. Ending his set with a proper cover The Beatles' "Revolution" just continues to show the deep admiration Enuff Z'Nuff holds for the Fab Four.
ENCORE:
Nothin's Alright
Taxi Driver
I Feel Alright / Radar Love
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