Well, I’m back with yet another late review.  If some of you are wondering what’s taking me so long to write, it’s a combination of lots of things that are and are not related to the site. My apologies to the bands, this should have been posted sooner. I need to get some help here huh? Anyway, on with the review.

When I first saw the flyer shown above for this show, I knew there was no way that I would miss this show. With such a great lineup of local acts and the presence of John Corabi, I had to make it out. Corabi, as you may remember, is the former singer for Motley Crue and was probably the best interview that I’ve ever done and I looked forward to meeting him in person. He, as well as the other bands on the bill, did not disappoint.

fORMER took the stage first and I noticed something unique right off the bat. On the Rocks was actually almost full to capacity with people. It was truly refreshing to see a full house for the first band. As anyone who goes to shows in Nashville knows, usually the first band plays for very few people. Not only did fORMER have a big crowd, they won them over and by the end of their set, the whole place was cheering them on. My favorite songs from their set were ‘Never Come Down’ and ‘In the Gray’. I’ve always thought of fORMER as Nashville’s answer to Cheap Trick with their 70’s style pop rock hooks and frontman, Denny Smith’s vocal style. I was thrilled to see them end their set with a cover of Cheap Trick’s ‘Surrender’ that featured a guest spot of Caprice’s Tony Higbee on guitar. The whole bar was caught up in the song and it was a great way to start off the show.

fORMER

Next up was Trailer Choir. This was the only group on the bill that I hadn’t heard of. I was told that they are backed by Toby Keith and will be opening up for him on tour. While an interesting act, they didn’t really do it for me. They were a bit too country for my taste but they are a talented group. Songs that stood out in their set included ‘Sway’ and ‘Rollin through the Sunshine’. They certainly had the strangest moment of the night when they went into a medley that included ‘Baby Got Back’, ‘East Bound & Down’, and ‘The Gambler’.  The crowd received them very well so my opinion is just that, an opinion. I wish them luck on the Toby Keith tour.

Trailer Choir

Third on the bill was the group that organized this great shindig, Seventy Seven. They are a new group but most local rock fans will recognize guitarist Joey O, formerly of Bombshell Crush. To be honest, I like these guys better than Bombshell Crush. Their sound seems more organic and raw, especially on songs such as ‘Run’ and ‘Why?’ Lead vocalist Scott Harris has the right look and the right sound for this group and provided a very strong performance. Seventy Seven really seem to have their act together and I wouldn’t be surprised if they start making an upward ascent in the future.

Seventy Seven

After a brief break, it was time for John Corabi. I had a chance to talk to him before going on stage and he was one of the most gracious and nice music industry people that I’ve ever met. I thanked him again for such a great interview and looked forward to his set. This was about as bare bones as you get. Corabi took the stage armed with only an acoustic guitar. While the other bands did a full-blown electric set, Corabi captured everyone’s attention with just a guitar, playing a number of songs from his previous band, The Scream, such as ‘Mother Father Son’ and ‘Man on the Moon’. He also performed a couple of new songs that he’s been writing here in Nashville, my favorite being a moody tune called ‘Crash’. The crowd was very receptive of his new material and he ended his set on a fun note playing the classic Beatles hit ‘Oh Darlin’. While I would have loved to have heard some of his material from his Union or Motley Crue days, I was thrilled to hear his new material and wish him the best with it. Welcome to the neighborhood John!

John Corabi

Closing out the bill were the Beauty School Dropouts. This was the performance that almost never was. The power to the stage suddenly cut out during setup and it was starting to look bleak but a few swear words and extension chords later they were ready to rock. This was my second time seeing the Dropouts but they’ve improved so much that it was almost like watching a different band. Playing their old favorites as well as tunes from their new album ‘Murder by Radio’, BSD played a furiously tight set with tons of energy coming from the stage as well as the crowd. The entire band was on fire and Jimmy was really belting out the vocals on this night. I expect big things from these guys in 2008 and wouldn’t be surprised at all if they got a major record deal. Go see ‘em while you can before they get swept up onto a national tour.

The Beauty School Dropouts

In closing I want to thank Joey O and Seventy Seven for putting on a great show and inviting me out. You guys are pros all the way. Special thanks to Jimmy from BSD for pimpin’ NashvilleRock.net from the stage and handing out our bumper stickers. If you ever need merch handed out a show, I owe you haha. Again, I apologize for the lateness of this review. If you missed this show, you really missed out.

That’s all for now.

Until Next Time, I’m out like Drew Peterson’s conscience.

Chris Czynszak

To reach Chris Czynszak, e-mail to cczynszak@nashvillerock.net