Concert Review :

Hurricaid

September 21, 2005

Dean Lesher Center, Walnut Creek, CA

By Dan Wall

Night Ranger Setlist: Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, When You Close Your Eyes, Sing Me Away, Once Bitten Twice Shy, Sister Christian, You Can Still Rock in America, To Be With You (with Eric Martin), 30 Days in the Hole (with Martin, Frank Hannon), Signs (with Hannon, Jeff Keith), It’s a Long Way to the Top (with Martin, Hannon, Keith). 60 minutes.

Y & T Setlist: Open Fire, Don’t Stop Runnin', Dirty Girl, Rescue Me, Summertime Girls, 10 Lovers, Black Tiger, I’ll Cry For You, Mean Streak, I Believe in You, Forever. 70 minutes.

If they ever get around to building the Northern California Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, most of the bands who lent their time and support to last week’s Hurricaid benefit concert in Walnut Creek will probably get in after the inaugural class of the Airplane, the Dead and Journey have their day.

There’s no quibbling with the star power of Night Ranger and Y & T here in Contra Costa County, an area where both bands still have huge followings. Held anywhere else in the country, these bands would have found themselves farther down on the bill, but not here. Both bands played great sets and seemed to be gratified to be invited in the first place. And since this was for such a good cause, to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina (and now Rita), there will be no criticism on display here, just a quick report of what went down and a hearty thank you to all involved.

Night Ranger headlined, and by taking a quick glance at the setlist, you can see that the band played a quick six-song set of its biggest hits, and then brought out a bunch of buddies who made the event even more special for the sold-out-in-hours crowd who gathered here. Eric Martin, who went to school in Sacramento with Night Ranger guitarist Jeff Watson, came out to sing the Mr. Big camp-fire biggie “To Be With You,” and a storming cover of Humble Pie’s “30 Days in the Hole,” which also featured Tesla’s Frank Hannon. Tesla’s Jeff Keith was the big surprise, an unannounced guest who sang two songs and brought a huge amount of rock star pose to the whole proceeding.

The group played with its typical stage setup and performed the whole gig with a big grin, as if it was all put together backstage before the gig. It wasn’t until later that I found it was-the band could play its own songs in its sleep, but the special guest slots were literally rehearsed backstage before the gig.

Y & T is a legend in the Bay Area and in small pockets around the country (as well as in Europe and Japan), and its inclusion was a no-brainer for the organizers of this event. The hard-rocking quartet, led as always by lead guitarist/vocalist Dave Meniketti, brought along all of the typical hallmarks of great Y & T-big riffs, screaming leads and melodic, heavy songs. Meniketti was supported capably by powerhouse drummer Leonard Haze, he of the lightning quick right foot and the big, burly drum sound, bassist and professional rock star Phil Kennemore and rhythm guitarist John Nyman (who once played in the Eric Martin Band). Y & T played a stormer, which is pretty much how it things go down when the band gets together these days.

Meniketti was the star of the show on this night, no matter how good the rest of the band was. The curly-haired guitarist was absolutely on fire, providing riffs and solos that few can match. The end solo that is tied on to what I think is his best song, “I Believe in You,” nearly brought the house down. Kennemore was always the true rock star of the group, his solid thumping and high-pitched backing vocals reminding one of the support Michael Anthony offers the Van Halen boys. And Haze is still Haze, as solid as John Bonham, and fortunately, a drug and alcohol survivor who cleaned up his act and was able to jump back on the ride when Y & T reformed five years ago.

Two local tribute bands, Long Gone Bon (a tribute to Bon Scott-era AC/DC) and Hot For Teacher (a tribute to David Lee Roth-era Van Halen) opened the show with short sets, and I was amazed at one thing—how come the guitarists had no problem replicating the riffs and solos of two of the industry’s legendary figures (Angus Young and Eddie Van Halen), but neither singer could come close to matching the drunken buffoon/unique voice/legendary frontman thing Scott and Lee Roth are so well known for? Must be something to do with technical proficiency vs. personality and one’s own vocal range, but in closing, I thought it was amazing how good the guy who did Eddie did Eddie.

Thanks to all at the Contra Costa Times, 107.7 the Bone and those at the Dean Lesher Center who made the whole evening possible for this deserving cause.