First off, the headliner was the 80's hard rock band, Queensryche. They have always been one of my all-time favorite bands. I've seem them several times and they've always put on an awesome show. When I saw that they were playing at the nearby Baltimore Soundstage, I was initially on the fence about going. You see, I just don't do well with late weeknights anymore. Yes, I've grown old over the years and I need a good night's sleep to optimally function the next day. Anyway, when I saw that John 5 was going to be the opening act, I decided that I had to go.
If you don't know who John 5 is, check out some of his performances on YouTube. Yes, the guy is quite strange, but he is also a phenomenal guitar player. I knew I had to see him perform live, even if it was on a Thursday night.
So, when it finally came time for John 5 to take the stage, the bass player and drummer came out first. The bass player was a tall slender guy who looked more like a center for the Boston Celtics. Shortly afterwards, John 5 emerged from the right side of the stage. He slowly transitioned to the intro riff. The rhythm was infectious and it was followed by some predictable shredding. John 5, with his face painted with his signature black and white make-up, presented the image of a avant-garde rock star.
One of the first things that made me raise my eyebrows were the videos that were playing in the background. While John 5 was wailing on his fret-board, graphic scenes from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" were rolling behind him. And then, the video would transition over to a scene from "The Flintstones". The contrast of a woman on a meat-hook followed by Fred and Barnie at the bowling alley is a lot for a brain to process.
At another point during the show, the band is jamming out to one of John's funky grooves. And then, from the left side of the stage comes this dancing Astronaut. This guy was spinning and bopping to the bass lines like he was John Travolta. At another point of the show, this guy comes out wearing this gigantic John 5 head. He looked like a living John 5 bobble-head doll. Meanwhile, the grind-house movies continue to play on the video screen behind the band. I had been drinking nothing but water all night but I seriously began to wonder if someone had slipped something into my Deer Park.
About mid-way through the show, John 5 announced that things were about to really get weird. I felt an immediate impulse to run towards the door. But morbid curiosity kept me nailed to my spot on the floor. At this point, John 5 kicked off a melody of song riffs beginning with a couple of classic Rush tunes and then progressing to the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Van Halen and Soundgarden. During the progression, a bunch of gigantic rubber balls were tossed into the crowd. They were kind of like beach balls but the rubber is a bit thicker. I know this because I had a couple of them bounce of the back of my head and nearly knock me into the person in front of me. But hey, it's all about the rock and roll experience, right?
But perhaps the strangest moment for me was when John 5 started to play this bluegrass progression. I remember watching Roy Clark play this kind of stuff on Hee-Haw back in the day. Roy would be picking his banjo next to a grinning Buck Owens in front of a haystack. But watching a guy with crazy white hair and face-paint kick out some bluegrass was a bit peculiar. And the weirdest part is that it was awesome! This guy had the technique and chops down pat!
As John 5's performance came to an end, I found myself slightly traumatized but strangely wanting more. In the end, it was one of the best guitar performances that I've ever seen. While it was entertainingly strange, it was also a brilliant display of musicianship. The drummer and bass player formed a tight pocket that allowed John 5's catchy riffs and blistering solos to shine.
Oh, by the way, Queensryche was excellent as well!
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