Sebastian Bach, or Baz as many call him, returned to Dallas on Saturday night and proved that the youth of 1989 can still get wild almost 30 years later. Known mainly for fronting the band Skid Row, Bach had no problem bringing out his cult following for a night of classic heavy metal and glam ballads. The venue, Canton Hall, consisted mainly of old school rock n’ roll diehards wearing the same smelly leather jackets and vintage tour shirts from their childhood. The almost refreshing scent tickled your nose as the fans passed you on their way to the bar or merch booth. For a lot of the seasoned crowd, it was now a family outing as they brought their kids along to give them a glimpse of the glam rock legend.
Now that he is performing tours under his own name, Bach is backed up by an all-star lineup that consists of Brent Woods (guitar), Rob De Luca (bass), and Bobby Jarzombek (drums). The band sounded as tight as ever. Like a punch to the gut, they kicked off the set with the classic track “Slave to the Grind Bach.” Bach charged on stage with an amount of energy that some kids these days wouldn’t even comprehend. The man still has it. He was thrashing around, moving from side to side, and belting out tones that vocalists these days only dream of. With a microphone that had a set of brass knuckles attached to it, you knew that Bach was there to kick your ass. The sound was clear, the tones were great, and the timing was precise. From the thrash metal vocals, to the mesmerizing screams, Bach did not disappoint. The set consisted of a wide range of Skid Row classics, solo material, and a couple of surprise cover songs. The crowd sang their hearts out as the band performed Skid Row’s “18 and Life” and “Piece of Me” followed up by Pain Museum’s “American Metalhead.” The rhythm sections were spot on as Jarzombek pounded the drumheads on his riser that was surrounded by a sound-glass barrier to tighten up the tones. Woods and De Luca continuously switched sides of the stage in true heavy metal fashion, bringing even more energy to the crowd. The guitar tones were just what you want from classic rock n’ roll. They were heavy, crunchy, and loud – and the solos penetrated the mix at just the right level.
Dallas was sort of a family reunion for the band. Bach pointed out friends in the crowd back from the old Pantera and Skid Row tour days, and told a few stories from the past in between songs. It was an emotionally charged evening as Bach dedicated the show to fallen friends, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. The band then surprised the crowd with a cover of Pantera’s “Cemetery Gates.” Tears flowed in the crowd as Bach gave the heart warming performance.
The band then gave a lot of the fans what they had been wanting all night. As he pointed to the tattoo on his forearm that reads Youth Gone Wild, the fans went into a frenzy. Thrashing around and singing along, smiles filled the faces in the crowd as the band gave it their all. A true professional, Bach kept the energy level high from the first note of the set until the last. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, I imagine seeing Bach now is not much different from seeing Bach in the 80’s or 90’s.
– Corey Smith
– click to enlarge photos –
