Dan’s Dio Review

October 28, 2004

Grand Ballroom in San Francisco

By Dan Wall

Dio Set List from The Grand, SF, October 29: One More For the Road, Sign of the Southern Cross, Stargazer, Stand Up and Shout, Don’t Talk to Strangers, The Eyes, Killing the Dragon, Man on the Silver Mountain, Long Live Rock and Roll, Rock and Roll Children, Gates of Babylon, Holy Diver, Heaven and Hell. Encores: The Last in Line, Rainbow in the Dark, We Rock. 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Despite his advancing age and the challenge from upcoming metal bands trying to knock him off of his perch, Ronnie James Dio is still one of the greatest voices in metal music.

Touring behind his new record, Master of the Moon, Dio and his veteran band drew a near sell-out crowd to the Grand, a new San Francisco venue, on the Friday before Halloween.

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Ronnie, since I did publicity and lighting for the venue where he played his very first solo show in 1983. Also, I loved Rainbow and think that his tenure with Black Sabbath was equal to that of Mr. Osbourne, which may be sacrilege to many, but is the common thought of many metal fans these days.

Dio has settled into middle age with a show that mixes the best moments from Rainbow, Sabbath and his solo career, with a band of metal vets who easily adapt to changing riffs and rhythms of those selections. Every year, he brings a few songs out of the mothballs that haven’t made the set in years (this year, it was Sabbath’s “Sign of the Southern Cross,” Rainbow’s “Gates of Babylon” and his own “Rock and Roll Children”). And, for whatever reason, he always has a couple of new band members to indoctrinate into his touring family.

This time out, its bassist Rudy Sarzo (ex-Quiet Riot) who joins guitarist Craig Goldy, drummer Simon Wright and keyboardist Scott Warren onstage. All were solid, with only Goldy turning in an average performance. I thought he sounded okay, but a number of my fellow attendees thought he was either sick or drunk. I’ll go with the former since I don’t know, but suffice it to say many were yearning for the days of Doug Aldrich.