Located in the diverse and artsy downtown Atlanta neighborhood of Little Five Points, the Variety Playhouse welcomed co-headlining guitar virtuosos John 5 and Richie Kotzen, with artist support from Vern Daysel & The Burning Breeze, to town on Thursday night. Established in 1940, this converted World War II-era movie theater has been a local cornerstone of live entertainment for decades, with an enjoyable mix of raised, theater-style reserved seats set directly behind a large general admission floor for flexible audience viewing of their favorite touring artists.
Kicking off Halloween Eve in Atlanta at 7:00 p.m. were South Florida southern rockers Vern Daysel & The Burning Breeze. Anchored by South African native frontman and guitarist Vern Daysel, the band describes themselves as “playing rock ’n’ roll in its purest form without apology or pretense. They simply plug in, turn up, and rip on a path of their own.” The four-piece delivered a blistering opening set that bridged a vibe somewhere between a sweaty Deep South bar and a modern bluesy rock revival.
Rounded out by the energetic Paige Cantrill behind the drum kit, Nico Swarley on bass, and Cody Widmer on guitar, the musically tight ensemble amped up the early crowd with old-school energy reminiscent of Gov’t Mule, The Marshall Tucker Band, and a touch of Lynyrd Skynyrd. In fact, the band was so good that the power went out in the venue for like 10 minutes after their performance.
Vern Daysel & The Burning Breeze
Vern Daysel – Lead vocals, guitar
Paige Cantrill – Drums
Nico Swarley – Bass
Cody Widmer – Guitar
With the power restored, the crew quickly cleared the equipment to keep the show on schedule. Fitting for the occasion, a handful of large (plastic) pumpkins adorned the edge of the stage as 55-year-old guitarist John William Lowery — professionally known as John 5 — appeared under dim lighting at 8:00 p.m. I last caught the mesmerizing John 5 here in Atlanta back in February 2024 at Center Stage Theater, so with him now out on the road in support of his latest and eleventh solo studio album, Ghost (released October 10, 2025), I knew we were in for a real treat.
Internationally celebrated for his guitar artistry, John 5’s résumé includes an impressive range of collaborations with artists such as k.d. lang, Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, and Meat Loaf. He has also contributed to projects with rock icons like David Lee Roth, Rob Halford, Lita Ford, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie. Moreover, since 2023, John 5 has stepped into the shoes of former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars as the band’s current guitarist.
If you haven’t listened to Ghost, you don’t know what you’re missing. Tracks like “Fiend” and “Deviant” will melt your eardrums, but it’s John 5’s live performances that serve as an exhausting clinic in virtuosic guitar playing. Staples like “I Am John 5” and “Qué Pasa” thrilled the audience, and he even slipped in an enjoyable instrumental rendition of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” mid-set. John 5’s shows are rarely short on props, and while Thursday night was a bit more reserved in that regard (no giant balloons, for example), he did share how much he “loves Halloween” before having his guitar tech and bassist, Richard Ramirez, haul out a candy bucket to toss treats to the crowd. As is tradition, John 5 put an exclamation point on the night with his always-lovable “Mötley Crüe Medley,” celebrating a variety of iconic riffs from the band’s deep catalog.
John 5 Band
John 5 – Guitar
Alejandro “Alex” Mercado – Drums
Richard Ramirez – Bass
As the clock crossed 9:45 p.m., co-headlining guitarist Richie Kotzen took the stage with Matt Lesser (drums) and Dylan Wilson (bass) in tow, rounding out the traveling trio. Like John 5, the 55-year-old Kotzen has enjoyed a decorated musical career beyond his solo work, with tenures in well-known bands such as Poison (1991–1993) and Mr. Big (1999–2002). Since 2012, he has also served as the frontman of The Winery Dogs. In fact, my first impression when Kotzen’s set began was simply “wow, what a great, bluesy voice.”
While Kotzen’s latest album, Nomad (September 2024), is just over a year old, conversations with some of his dedicated fans revealed that most of the performance drew from earlier releases, including 24 Hours (2011) and Into the Black (2006). Songs like “Bad Situation” came across as understated yet genuine, but Kotzen’s entire setlist demanded your full attention. Not the shredder that John 5 is, Kotzen instead delivered an hour-plus guitar masterclass in fluid technique, alternating between fiery legato runs, blues-inflected bends, and lush chord voicings.
John 5 and Richie Kotzen will continue their tour through Tuesday, November 25th, when the pair will wrap up their co-headlining run at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado.
Richie Kotzen Band
Richie Kotzen – Lead vocals, guitar
Matt Lesser – Drums
Dylan Wilson – Bass
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.