The historic Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday night hosted the Tom Keifer Band for the second time in just under a year. Built in 1930, this 1,800-capacity venue was originally designed in a Spanish baroque style and has a general admission floor setting with an upper, seated balcony area.
Previously performing at this venue back in July 2022 while headlining his Sonic Slam Tour with L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat in support, Keifer kicked off this Live/Loud 2023 Tour with Winger and John Corabi now in tow. Live/Loud also commemorates the ten-year milestone anniversary of the #Keiferband.
Getting the night – and tour – started at 8:00pm was musician John Corabi. While perhaps best well-known for the period in the ’90s as the (temporary) replacement for Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, the 64-year-old Corabi is a stellar artist all on his own. I have caught him a handful of times while attending the Monsters on the Mountain festivals these past few years in Tennessee. His solo performances are always a treat, and Thursday night was no different, dazzling the crowd as just a man and his microphone for 30 minutes.
Corabi’s career perspective was woven into his short set, which included a cover of Motley Crue’s “Hooligan’s Holiday” as well as The Scream‘s “Man in the Moon.” His personality was also on full display, at one point joking that he would be out in the audience when done and would be happy to sign whatever, except he follows two rules – “I don’t sign checks. And I don’t sign penises.” Hysterical. This tour is now officially a lead up to Corabi heading back out in August with the Dead Daisies, whom he just rejoined a few short weeks ago, so if you don’t catch him acoustically on this run, you will get another shot to enjoy him live later this year.
Following a quick turn, Winger took to the stage at 8:45pm and opened with “Stick the Knife in and Twist,” a brand new track. It is worth mentioning that 2023 has already been a busy year for Winger. Not only is the band out on the road supporting its latest (and amazing) studio release, Seven (May 2023), but 2023 marks their 35th anniversary. Prior to picking up this Live/Loud Tour, Winger also just got off a European run of dates in support of Steel Panther.
I last caught Winger a bit over a year ago when they were on tour supporting Skid Row on the Live to Rock Tour. However, founding member Reb Beach was out on the road with Whitesnake at that time and was substituted with guitarist Jake Faun. As mentioned in that concert review, jokingly I should probably recuse myself from reviewing their set Thursday night – Winger is one of my favorite bands, and in fact, their self-titled debut was the very first CD I ever purchased (back when they came in those long cardboard boxes).
That all aside, if you are a long time Winger fan like me, you will enjoy their setlist on this tour, but might be slightly disappointed to learn that they only performed short of an hour. Kip energetically lead the band through nearly a dozen songs (some of them abbreviated, however), and showcased another of their newest tunes mid-set, “Proud Desperado,” from Seven. Fan favorites “Hungry” and “Time to Surrender” didn’t make the cut Thursday night, but it was great hearing “Pull Me Under” from Karma live.
Beach performed like the consummate guitar maestro (hero?) that you’d expect (especially during his solo), and the rest of the band of brothers in Rod Morgenstein (drums), Paul Taylor (keyboards/guitar), and Howie Simon (subbing in on guitar for John Roth who is currently out with Starship, I believe) were as musically tight as ever. Winger never disappoints, and the title of this tour rang true – they were loud.
Winger
Reb Beach – Lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Rod Morgenstein – Drums, percussion, backing vocals
John Roth – Rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (did not appear)
Howie Simon – Rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Taylor – Keyboards, rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
Kip Winger – Lead vocals, bass
Setlist
1.) Stick the Knife in and Twist
2.) Can’t Get Enuff (no 2nd verse)
3.) Seventeen (no 2nd verse)
4.) Down Incognito
5.) Proud Desperado
6.) Miles Away
7.) Rainbow in the Rose (no 2nd verse)
8.) Pull Me Under (no 2nd verse)
9.) Headed for a Heartbreak
10.) Easy Come Easy Go
11.) Madalaine
As the clock clicked past 10:15pm, the audience energy hit a fevered pitch as Tom Keifer and the band took to the venue stage. Similar to the start of his set back on the Sonic Slam Tour, Keifer and his bandmates huddled in front of the drum riser before starting their night off with “Life Was Here” from the 2019 album Rise.
To be transparent, I am also a huge Cinderella fan. In fact, prior to the Sonic Slam Tour, I found my faded April 28, 1989 ticket stub ($17.50!) from the Long Cold Winter headlining tour with Winger and the Bullet Boys as the opening acts. Where has the time gone?
With a setlist pulled from Keifer’s three-decade-plus catalog, crossing Night Songs (1986) through Rise (2019), the band guided the capacity crowd through a musical journey that for many likely had ’80s memories surfaced of cruising neighborhood streets with high school friends, or just hanging out at mall arcade on a Friday night. Iconic songs like “Coming Home” and “The Last Mile” were on heavy radio rotation back then and are certainly part of the soundtrack to my youth, and to those singing along aside me Thursday night.
Keifer’s voice sounded as strong as ever, and while the 90-minute setlist was similar to the Sonic Slam tour, the crowd definitely welcomed the additions of Cinderella’s “Hot and Bothered” and “Heartbreak Station” to the performance. In fact, Keifer even joked that he has been harassed constantly on social media recently to include “Heartbreak Station,” so the fans won out, apparently.
After completing their main set with “Shelter Me” from the 1991 Heartbreak Station album, the band rolled out the piano to kick off the encore set, with Keifer and his wife Savannah leading the audience through the start of “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone).” Following a cover rendition of “Help” by The Beatles, Keifer wrapped up the stellar night of hits shortly before midnight with a lively performance of the ever-popular “Gypsy Road” from Cinderella’s Long Cold Winter (1988) album.
Tom Keifer Band
Tom Keifer – Lead vocals, Guitar
Tony Higbee – Lead guitar, Vocals
Billy Mercer – Bass, Vocals
Kory Myers – Keyboard, Vocals
Jarred Pope – Drums
Savannah Keifer – Backing vocals
Kendra Chantelle – Backing vocals
Tanya Davis – Backing vocals
Setlist
1.) Life Was Here
2.) Hot and Bothered
3.) Heartbreak Station
4.) Death of Me
5.) BSB / Fallin’ Apart at the Seams
6.) Coming Home
7.) Nobody’s Fool
8.) Solid Ground
9.) Night Songs
10.) Somebody Save Me
11.) The Last Mile
12.) Shake Me
13.) Shelter Me
Encore
14.) Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)
15.) Help (The Beatles cover)
16.) Gypsy Road
The Live/Loud Tour continues on to the Blue Note Theatre in Harrison, Ohio, this Saturday, and then runs through mid-August, where it will wrap up at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The supporting acts will change off and on throughout the tour, so I have posted the full schedule for your reference.
Live/Loud Tour 2023
June 17 – Blue Note Theatre Harrison, OH – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 18 – Dr Pepper Park Roanoke, VA – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 21 – St. George Theatre Staten Island, NY – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 23 – Santander PAC Reading, PA – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 24 – Palladium New York, NY – w/ Winger & John Corabi
June 27 – Patchogue Theatre Patchogue, NY – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 28 – Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH – w/Winger & John Corabi
June 30 – Keswick Theatre Glenside, PA – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 1 – Mountain View Amph Cheswick, PA – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 6 – Penn’s Peak Jim Thorpe, PA – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 7 – The Strand Providence, RI – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 8 – Summer Stage at Tags Big Flat, NY – w/Stephen Pearcy & Vixen
July 13 – The Goodyear Theater Akron, OH – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 14 – Arcada Theatre St. Charles, IL – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 15 – Des Plaines Theatre Des Plaines, IL – w/Winger & John Corabi
July 18 – Oriental Theater Denver, CO – #keiferband Evening with
July 19 – Steelhouse Omaha Omaha, NE – w/LA Guns
July 21 – Mid-Summer Music Fest Menahga, MN – w/LA Guns
July 22 – Event Center Medina, MN – w/LA Guns
July 27 – Granada Theater Dallas, TX – w/John Corabi
July 28 – Rise Rooftop Houston, TX – w/John Corabi
July 29 – Haute Spot Cedar Park, TX – w/John Corabi
August 3 – Epic Events Center Ashwaubenon, WI – w/Winger & John Corabi
August 4 – Civic Center Peoria, IL – w/Winger & John Corabi
August 5 – Black Oak Mountain Lampe, MO – w/Winger & John Corabi
August 10 – District 142 Wyandotte, MI – #keiferband Evening with
August 11 – Paramount Theatre Anderson, IN – w/John Corabi
August 12 – Honeywell Center Wabash, IN – w/John Corabi
August 16 – Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN – w/John Corabi
August 17 – The Underground Charlotte, NC – w/John Corabi
August 18 – Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN – w/Winger & John Corabi
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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.
