by Deb Rao
– Sr. Columnist —
February 20, 2016 at Eastside Cannery in Las Vegas, NV. —
Great White and Slaughter performed a sold out show at the Eastside Cannery in Las Vegas on February 20th. It was a great night of the blues, as one of the top blues bands Great White took the stage. Opening the show at 8 p.m. was Las Vegas band Slaughter.
Dana Strum was a ball of energy and singer Mark Slaughter was in great voice as the band performed such hits as “Mad About You” and “Fly To The Angels.” Mark dedicated this song to all the men and women in the Armed Forces. Mark performed a cool guitar solo on his Silver Fender guitar.
The band ended the night with hit “Up All Night.” This song could be the theme song for Vegas! It had been a while since I had seen Slaughter perform and they did not disappoint.
Anticipation filled the air, as Great White took the stage. It didn’t take long for the sold out crowd to get on their feet. Singer Terry Ilous captivated the audience with his bluesy vocal style. Along with the grinding bluesy riffs of Mark Kendall, the two musicians mesh together so well. It was great seeing Michael Lardie play guitar when he wasn’t on keyboards.
The band performed close to a two hour set spanding their extensive career. The set list included such hits as “Rock Me”, “Save All Your Love”, and “Once Bitten Twice Shy.” Mark Kendall stole the show with his signature in your face riffs on “Mista Bone.” Other highlights included “”Face The Day” and “House Of Broken Love.” The audience was really into the set, as they danced all night!
The night was full of surprises, as a cake was brought onstage to celebrate Terry’s birthday. The band has come full circle with Terry. He is a true professional.
As I was walking into the concert I realized that it was the Anniversary of The Station night club fire 13 years today Feb. 20. The tragedy was so devastating to fans and the band. They say you have to live the blues in order to play them. For sure Great White has had their share of pain. Tonight it great seeing the band once again at the top of their game. Tonight’s show was about good friends, great music, and the Blues!
Special Thank you to Terry Ilous for making this review possible.
The Official Website of Great White: http://www.officialgreatwhite.com/
