Back from seeing Sons of Apollo this weekend. I have to say, they surprised me. Not in the quality of the performance, as that was top-notch, as expected. It was that this really felt like a real BAND, and not a project. I just assumed, like many groups that come together with well established players from other acts, it was going to feel like "forced chemistry." I was happily wrong. Sons of Apollo genuinely has on-stage chemistry and feels like a true band. It was between all of them, but JSS and Bumblefoot in particular. Those guys are two peas in a pod. MP was having a blast too - didn't really talk much at all, but he didn't need to. You could see the joy on his face. Billy was Billy - had fun, played well, fit in, although he's starting to show his age a bit (no offense intended whatsoever, but you can tell he's from the generation before these guys). The one guy who I expected to be more into it was Derek. I think he was having issues with his tech, because a couple of times, he waved him away from the stage, and then after finishing a section, he jumped down, ran to the side, and was letting the dude know about it. I think it got him out of the flow of an otherwise great show (and Derek played excellent).
What was telling for me was that I went into the show just looking forward to hearing the DT tracks they were doing, as I love FII. I was hoping they sounded great, and the stuff on Sons' Psychotic Symphony, at least for me, was an entertaining set of songs and that would be it (I give the record about a 6.5/10 or so. It's OK, but doesn't blow me away). Well, not only did the band SLAY those two DT tunes, but the rest of the set turned me into a Sons of Apollo believer. It made me want to go listen to the album again - because the tunes came off really well live, and it clicked.
JSS was a big part of that. I felt he sang very reserved on the record, but live, my God, what a frontman. I have seen him multiple times with TSO, and once fronting Journey (in 2006). That latter time, he sang very well, but was trying to find his groove fronting that band. The two or three times I saw TSO, he wasn't reserved by choice, it was just the nature of the performance. Well, with Sons of Apollo, we got the true JSS. A TON of energy, all over the stage, singing his guts out, believing in every lyric he's singing. He doesn't have the range he once did, but it doesn't matter. The combo of him, with Bumblefoot's higher pitch harmonizing on top of him, was great. It gave the vocals on the Sons songs that extra bit of dynamics they needed. I am not sure if JSS did this at other shows, but during the encore, with the cover song in it (I know it is a bit of a spoiler, but not revealing what it is), he even went out into the crowd and sang the beginning walking back up through the middle of the audience. Just a wonderful all around performance.
I admit I wasn't sold on JSS as the frontman for this band. I was wrong. He brings such an enthusiasm, and his voice and Bumble's mix so well together, it really makes the songs come alive.
If you're on the fence about going, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket. They played for almost two hours, and the combination of musicianship, great singing, and great energy are worth it. And who knows, if you were lukewarm on the Sons of Apollo record itself, the gig may just make you change your mind. It did for me.
p.s. About Bumblefoot -- that dude can shred, and he plays with such soul. This was my first time seeing him (I had seen the other guys in other bands previously), and I came away really impressed. A great showman and even greater player (not to mention, as I said earlier, a really nice voice).