I counted up the years and came up with 22. That's how long ago I attended the Telsa concert in here in Memphis, TN back in 1987 on the "Great Radio Controversy" tour (and I wore the same t-shirt I bought at that concert 22 years ago)! I can safely say these guys didn't miss a beat. Singer Jeff Keith still has his voice and was able to easily pull off all the classic Telsa cuts flawlessly.
They opened with a couple new tunes from the new record, but no one cared about those. :) The crowd went wild when they launched into "Modern Day Cowboy", which has some blistering lead lines played by one of my favorite guitarists, Frank Hannon. Frank seemed to be inspired that night and his playing showed it. Backed up by new guitarist, Dave Rude, the duo had some great moments... especially the intro of "Cumin' Atcha Live". As expected, "Love Song" and "Signs" brought down the house. A surprise cut, "Before My Eyes" from the first Tesla album, was played to absolute perfection.
We had excellent front row access and Frank came over and ripped several solos right over my head. :) The best part of all was getting to meet the band after the show! I finally got to meet Frank Hannon, one of my all time favorite guitar heroes, get his autograph and chat with him a bit. Super nice guy and very humble considering his talents.
The whole experience was well worth it. Minglewood Hall is an excellent venue for seeing live music... the facilities are top notch, the stage is beautifully lit and the ambiance is much more intimate due to the small size of the hall. I highly recommend locals check it out and potential visitors of Memphis looking to catch a show while they are here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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