Tom Keifer brought his signature blues- rock sound back to the Star City on his new Live & Loud tour, but he did not come alone. The Tom Keifer Band performed at Dr Pepper Park in Roanoke Virginia on June 18th along with Winger and John Corabi.
John Corabi was the first to get the crowd pumped and ready to go. Corabi has quite the musical background as “both the former and current” lead singer of The Dead Daises and the brief period he sang for Motley Crue. He performed a 6 song acoustic set which included a song off of “Unplugged” called “If I Never Get to Say Goodbye”. The song was dedicated to two of his friends who were unfortunate victims of a tragic shooting. Corabi stated “If you have love ones at home make sure you always say you love them because you never know what the universe has in store.” He truly caught the crowd attention and participation by playing “Hooligans Holiday” joking that he is “the guy who ruined Motley Crue’s Career.”
All together Corabi’s gruff rock n roll voice and passion for the music paired perfectly with the overall feel of the rest of the night. He never skipped a beat and he never missed a note. After the show he met individually with fans to take pictures and sign autographs. Corabi was only the beginning of what continue to be a night filled with the sounds of the 80s.
Winger took the stage next with their full original lineup featuring Kip Winger, Reb Beach, Rob Morgenstein, and Paul Taylor as well as Howie Simon. They started the show off with a song from their 2023 album “Seven” called “Stick the Knife in and Twist.” Every song from the new album that Winger played was received just as well as the hits from back in the day with fans singing back at them word for word. Kip still looks and sounds just like the heartthrob that stole the hearts of everyone when the band first began. Hits like “Miles Away”, “Madalaine”, and “Seventeen” basically sounded almost identical to the album but with an ever so slight change that comes with aging. Each member played with the grit and attitude of a true rockstar.
Tom Keifer and his band hadn’t even made it to the stage before they were met with the adoring screams of fans as they walked from the buses. Early on the fans were treated to Heartbreak Station, the title track of Cinderella’s third studio album. Keizer stated that it had been awhile since they had played it and jokingly asked that if he messed up that the crowd not be too upset. All one had to do was listen to know that he did not disappoint.
As the night progressed, the fans singing never let up nearly masking Keifer himself. This only fueled the passion inside not only him but the rest of the band. Each song played louder and stronger then the last. By the time the piano was rolled out so much emotion had been built up that it resulted in a very powerful and extremely well received version of “Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone.”
Keifer truly lived up to the tours name, Live and Loud. It is highly apparent that the Tom Keifer Band is more than just 7 musicians on a stage, they are a family. The band currently consists of Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Jarred Pope, Kory Myers, and Tanya Davis. The guitar pairing of Keifer and Higbee on guitar is immaculate. There is no one sounding better than the other. They both come together seamlessly creating that bluesy sound that everyone has come to love from Keifer’s music. However, having a guitarist as strong as Higbee allows Keifer to set the guitar down and really get into the vocals and interaction with the crowd. All the while Higbee is still able to keep up the Cinderella sound and have fun doing it.
As for Keifer’s voice, it is no secret that he has had multiple surgeries involving his throat but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to sing every song like it was written. Keifer pushed the limits with his voice and reached for every high note showing that he’s still got it.
Tanis Enos – TBE Photography / Staff Writer
Yes, Kip Winger is still creating music. Only you will not hear the Winger of the 1980’s on “From The Moon To The Sun” – this is Kip Winger accentuating his diverse affection for all music. Really, this is not an album to pass over if you are an open minded Hard Rock or Metal fan. With so many musicians in Hard Rock and Metal experimenting musically these days, it does not come as a huge surprise to listen to a softer, more mature (musically), Kip Winger. I hear Kip Wingers influences throughout “From The Moon To The Sun.” Kip Winger gives special thanks, in the liner notes, to his musical heroes, they are: Honegger, Ravel, Debussy, Bach, Brahms, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Kurek, Vaughan Williams, Adams, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and Joe Walsh. Seeing the list of Kip’s musical heroes definitely solidifies my saying this album is truly musically diverse. Quite honestly, there are some dudes on this heroes list that I have absolutely no clue as to who they are. I am innocent, for I am a Metalhead after all. (I am not used to too many mellow musicians, especially Classical musicians, however, I am a work in progress).
who has without doubt, carved out his place in Heavy Metal history.
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