A reunited, reignited Extreme knocked a full-to-capacity Hollywood House of Blues the funk out with a night of music and theatrics, proving that a little time off--like thirteen years--can be a good thing.
The crowd, made up mainly of seemingly well-behaved men and women, absolutely lost it when Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger, and new drummer Kevin Figueiredo swiped the stage. (I didn’t see one person throwing up, and quite sadly, no zoomers were flashed). The energy exchange between the band and the audience was palpable at once going into “Comfortably Dumb,” as a lithe and ultra-fit Gary Cherone took the microphone, cheerfully attacking the stage. It’s usually a ballsy move to play a new song for an opener, but the audience, it seemed, was already in an Extreme-induced stupor and most appreciative.
When Bettencourt’s guitar screamed out the first few notes of “Decadence Dance,” it was evident that the guys had their act down tight and were going to give it all to a wildly appreciative audience, many of which had waited years for this auspicious night. It’s always nice to see a crowd with no one crossing their arms…and not a single “I just smelled catshit” facial expression on the floor.
All the harmony, melody, groove, funk, and folk that is Extreme was turned on loud and high. Hats off to Kevin Figueiredo, who had tough shoes to fill as Paul Geary’s drumming replacement, but the guy more than proved his mettle as the “F.N.G.” in the band.
The house sang more of “More Than Words” than Cherone and Bettencourt did. “Ghost,” the sure to be a hit song off the new album Saudades de Rock was spellbinding. With Bettencourt behind the piano as Cherone’s vocal accompaniment, this was another new song that completely met the audience’s approval. As would be expected, “Hole Hearted” was mandatorily included in the set, but was played with an electric guitar—it sounded really good.
“Communication Breakdown” was the closer of the evening, a hard-rocking salute to Led Zeppelin and the spirit of rock and roll.
How many bands really hold their edge after two decades and/or a several-year hiatus? Extreme is definitely one, whether on record or onstage.
Hails to the ever-enthralling King’s X; the evening’s opener.
Setlist:
Comfortably Dumb
Decadence Dance
Rest in Peace
Warheads
Star
Tell Me Something I Don’t Know
Medley (Kid Ego, Little Girls, Teacher’s Pet)
Play With Me
Midnight Express
More Than Words
Ghost
Cupid’s Dead
Take Us Alive
Get the Funk Out
Am I Ever Gonna Change?
Hole Hearted
Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go To School Today)
Communication Breakdown
Check out a photo gallery from the night. Click here.
S2Cfan - 12/3/2008 11:34:04 AM Nice job with Van Halen dude.Yoy should donate all that cash you made to the "Dont try to be something your not fund" That Cd sounded like an elephant trying to rape a mouse.I know lets get Frankie Valle' to sing a few tunes with Motorhead.
SLAVE2CHRIST - 10/28/2008 7:29:07 PM eloi eloi sabachtani it is finished. John 3:31 He who is of the earth belongs to earth and speaks in an earthly way.He who comes from heaven is above all.John 3:32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard,yet no one receives his testimony.He who receives His testimony sets his seal to this.that God is true! John3:36 Who ever beleives in the Son has eternal life who ever does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrarh of God remains in Him. who ever tours with doc Mcgee Doug thayler or Sharon osborne had better come with a repentent heart. There aint no marshmellows in Hell no blow... no strippers nothing but gnashing of teeth and screaming agony eternal I lived with Nikki and Tommy with Barry and punky from Angel on 1261 curson street with Barry Levine the wanna be photographer turned Manager and I was there the night Barry levine sold Motley crues contract to Doc McGee (a seedless dealer from Newport beach)for ten thousand dollars all because Barry had a temper and could not deal with tommy and Nikki getting caught smoking crack in the back of a limo in Ventura.you guys write about this stuff and I was there played side by side with most of these fools my whole life and it sucked!
there is nothing glamorous about Ozzy tweakin going "my wife Sharon"My wife Sharon" all night long and dim some.Or playing shows strung out.staying up for days.that is why I Thank God for keeping me alive
and saving me from those pits of darkness.I am proof positive that any of those loosers can become winners.
soldiers for God. In truth and Love. I wonder where Barely Living i mean Barry Levine is Today.I Hope he is saved.there is hope while we are still alive,I hope
for my comrads in debauchery. blah!
luvbigboobs - 10/24/2008 11:27:12 AM ZZZZZZZZZZZ!!
scrapmetal - 10/23/2008 5:48:30 PM Oh and lest I forget licked Nikki sixx urine off the ground.What a horror show it must have been for the tour managers.
scrapmetal - 10/23/2008 5:47:54 PM Crue defintely toured with Ozz supporting SHout at the Devil album-one of the most legendary out of control party pairings ever.I believe the dirt book details some of the decadence,including Ozzy deserting his wife & band mid tour to ride on the Crue bus so he could drug out non stop.I believe this is the tour when he both pissed on the Alamo & snorted ants off the ground.
goin-blind - 10/23/2008 5:03:34 AM scrap..it was the "ultimate sin" tour.. and i want to say it was dokken, however it coulda been motley crue, cuz i saw them pretty close together
scrapmetal - 10/22/2008 1:11:39 PM GB what tour?First Blizzard tour was Motorhead for first leg then Def Lep for second.Second tour for Diary featured UFO.I believe Bark at the moon was Nightranger & after that I couldnt tell you.
SLAVE2CHRIST - 10/21/2008 8:31:57 PM Breaker breaker channel 666 this is SLAVE@CHRIST you dont have to live a lie any more.Darkness can only come into the light if you confess your sins and ask Jesus Christ to save you from your depraved minds and hearts or... you can take door number two. Carole! tell them what they have to look forward to for eternity.(enter Carole) A place so hot there is no way to gage its actual temperature (hold on to your ice cubes) your gonna wish for them day and night its a one way ticket to THE LAKE OF FIRE> yes you and Satans guest will gnash teeth together. Cry for your Father never to be with him again.weep endlessly be wrought with guilt and shame well? you get the picture its HELL BOYS and your going down unless you receive Gods inexpressable gift SALVATION> Oh and by the way the HOUse of Blues has had some Rockin Christian bands of late all glorify God and our King Lord and Saviour. Praise his Holy name! thanks for the Break Im 10-777 We now return you to you meaningless conversation. 1John1:9
goin-blind - 10/21/2008 7:41:55 PM when i saw ozzy..who the fuck opened? i believe it was dokken, but i could be wrong
scrapmetal - 10/20/2008 5:52:52 PM Saw that tour when they opened for Blizzard of Ozz-classic before the ink was dry in the history book..
goin-blind - 10/17/2008 12:39:24 AM let it go...fuck me, your right scrappy
scrapmetal - 10/14/2008 1:21:45 PM You mean Let it GO? High n Dry is on my all time classic list-right up there with back iN Black,Destroyer,VH 1,etc.
goin-blind - 10/14/2008 10:28:43 AM i remember the first time i heard "don't let go" by def lep..that opening riff, i thought "fuck, raw but fresh" great sound on that entire record, full of energy, with a tad of pissedoffedness thrown in
scrapmetal - 10/13/2008 2:21:55 PM YOu are right about that Lep tune about a Nam vet foreshadowing Rooster.Interesting points ,Magor in your Yngwie posts too but as a diehard European what country)S) do you actually reside in anyhow?
magor - 10/10/2008 5:42:54 PM yeah blind, the Lep should've kept Willis, agreed, and scrap, the reason that Pyro tour was still killer was because their catalog was still relatively small weighted in favor of those 1st 2 great albums, and Pyro did have some great songs like Die Hard the Hunter, (is that refering to old hippie savoy by any chance? Just kidding, but it did foreshadow the Rooster from Alice In Chains in a topic sense).
