Ron Keel of Keel

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

Ron Keel Discusses Las Vegas Stripped at Vamp’D

If you are looking to find the hottest up and coming acoustic acts in Las Vegas then your search is over! Do you remember when great melodic songs filled the airwaves in the ’80s? Well good lyrics and stellar song-writing are back in focus once again. Finally, there is an open mic in town that is run by legendary rocker Ron Keel of Keel every Monday night at Count’s Vamp’d on 6750 West Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV. called Las Vegas Stripped. Doors open at 8:30 P.M. with a $5 cover charge.

I had the privilege of performing at Las Vegas Stripped last Monday night. Count’s Vamp’d (formerly Feelgoods) has a great rock and roll ambiance and huge sound system. Every performer gets to perform 3 songs and it is a great opportunity to test out new material and network.

Legendary rocker Ron Keel kicked off the festivities and performed an opening set of songs that included “Bring It On”, Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page’, and Bad Company’s “Shooting Star.” It was great to hear Ron perform acoustic. After each performer Ron performed a couple of songs live to keep the venue rockin’.

During my set onstage, Ron joined me on one of my favorite cover tunes “Because The Night.” There was a great mix of songwriters performing including Bud Mickle from Vegas. On Monday April 11 Ron a has very special Las Vegas Stripped planned that will feature Marc Ferrari and Brian Jay of Keel. So c’ mon down and join the fun.

I had the opportunity to discuss Las Vegas Stripped with Ron Keel.

HRH: Ron, we are all very excited at Hardrock Haven. You are playing an acoustic gig and hosting an open mic here very week at Vamp’d in Las Vegas. Tell us how this all transpired.

Ron: First of all, I am a huge fan of Hardrock Haven. It has been one of my favorite sites for many years now. They have been very good to me. I appreciate the support. I am doing an acoustic jam/open mic night and hosting it at Las Vegas’s premier nightclub here at Vamp’d every Monday night. They just gave me the night to do what I want. It is a great opportunity to hang with other musicians and get some Rockstar friends down and play and have a good time here in Vegas on Monday.

HRH: What songs can we expect to hear tonight at the show?

Ron: I actually have no idea what I am doing. I make it up as I go along. I normally include as many Keel songs as possible including “Because The Night,” “Tears Of Fire,” and “Does Anybody Believe.” They all work great in an acoustic format. I am pretty fearless when it comes to playing acoustic. I am not afraid to pull out some Black Sabbath or the “Right To Rock.” Whatever the mood strikes me. We do have the Keel guys coming in next week on April 11. I am excited about that. Brian Jay and Marc Ferrari from Keel will be here next Monday night doing the Keel Stripped Show. I am excited about that.

HRH: What is new on Keel’s horizon?

Ron: We are busy setting up tour dates. We got some festivals this summer in the Midwest and Madison, Wisconsin and in Grand Rapids with Slaughter and some of our friends. Then we go to Europe this September or October. We are actually going places we have never been like Switzerland. We are going back to the Netherlands. So we are real excited about that.

HRH: Will we hear a Ron Keel solo album in the future?

Ron: You never know. I try not to plan too far ahead. You never know what life will bring. I have done a couple of solo albums Alone At Last. One of my acoustic CD’s is one of my personal favorites. Right now as far as rock music my focus is on Keel. I try to stay busy and play music as fun and stay out there and work with the fans. You never know what to expect from Ron Keel. I think my fans have learned that. I appreciate them coming along for the ride for the next 25 years.

For more info visit www.facebook.com/ronkeel

Photos apprear courtesy of Deb Rao

Ron Keel of KEEL

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Ron Keel checked in with Hardrock Haven to discuss the release of the first studio album of the KEEL reunion called Streets of Rock & Roll; how they celebrated the 25-year anniversary of The Right to Rock; what it felt like writing music together again after all those years apart; hooking up with a great label in Frontiers Records; upcoming tour plans in Europe and the U.S.; and a whole lot more.

KEEL has always been one of the most underrated bands on the planet, but Streets of Rock & Roll may just bring them to the top. Tune in now to hear Ron Keel talk about the new reunion and the new studio album, and pick up Streets of Rock & Roll immediately thereafter.

Online: www.keelnation.com

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

KEEL Streets of Rock & Roll

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Coming full circle always makes for a good story. Any writer will acknowledge that to end where you began, to tie in the past with the present, makes the journey that more enthralling and fulfilling to the reader. That rule certainly applies to the art of music as well, to the listener therein, and that is exactly what you get on KEEL’s brand new studio release Streets of Rock & Roll.

It was 25 years ago KEEL introduced itself with its major label debut, The Right to Rock, a raw, powerful Hard Rock album that borrowed somewhat from the persona of KISS, with lead singer Ron Keel baring his Gene Simmons vocal influence with abandon. But the chemistry in the band — with Bryan Jay, Marc Ferrari, Dwain Miller and Keel himself — combined over the next decade to become a glossier, multi-faceted juggernaut that could write a goofy pop anthem (like “Cherry Lane”) to a nearly Classical acoustic piece (“Nightfall”) and have it all make sense. Very bands could wield the sonic might of a song like “King of the Rock,” with piercing screams and scorching guitar solos, and flow into a Bon Jovi-type pop hit, as they did with “I Said the Wrong Thing to the Right Girl.” KEEL just didn’t sound like any other band out there, which may have been the reason they never “made it” to the same level of RATT, Motley Crue, Dokken, etc. But they should have, and although the past is what it is, KEEL is redefining their future with Streets of Rock & Roll.

KEEL wastes no time in hitting you with the title track. “Streets of Rock & Roll” isn’t the searing rocker you’d expect them to greet you with; this isn’t anything near their historical anthem “The Right to Rock.” Instead, they show a bit of maturity and reserve, if you will, and open with a melodic, catchy song that also allows the guitar duo of Ferrari and Jay to prove they haven’t lost a “lick” over the years. Out of all the band members, Keel never really left the scene—he just moved on to a different one. So, as anyone who has heard him sing live over the past few years can attest to, his voice is better than ever, with a fuller range and more control. You can’t say the same about the aforementioned RATT, Motley Crue, and Dokken, can you?

“Hit the Ground Running” goes back to a more classic KEEL sound, grittier while still maintaining its groove. The pre-chorus features Keel hitting the higher notes with his throaty wail and menacing anger, just like he did all those years ago. The theme here is “perseverance” and it’s a song KEEL didn’t need to do any research on, because they all lived it.

Although known for their heavier hits, KEEL also struck gold with slower songs like the cover of “Because the Night” and their MTV hit “Tears of Fire.” Keel’s voice in an acoustic setting (Alone at Last, anyone?) is stunning in its honesty, and it shines on the ballad “Does Anybody Believe.” The lyrics are somewhat philosophical, and at least make you think, when you hear, “Does anybody believe in anything anymore? Can you see inside your dreams and wish for something more? Is there anything we want that’s still worth fighting for?” As a sheer dissection of society, we’ve come a long way from love songs to wondering if the world is full of disimpassioned, disconnected, unemotional Atheists.

KEEL brings back the beer-guzzling fun on “The Devil May Care (But I Don’t).” The opening riff, chunky and serrated, leads into Keel saying “Let’s rock!” The way Keel went from his piercing falsetto screams in the ‘80s to this unbounded full-voice maniac today has to impress anyone who is drawn to a band by the vocals. You can try to sing along, but it’s probably going to hurt. That aside, the bluesy, playful rocker isn’t anything like you’ve heard from the band before.

KEEL goes back to their Led Zeppelin influences on “Gimme That.” Sure, it starts off like a classic KEEL rocker, but once you get to the entire groove and the verses, you can’t help but think Zeppelin (or maybe Whitesnake for you younger readers.) It’s a shout out to taking what you desire most in life, and isn’t that what KEEL did with Streets of Rock & Roll?

Showing their support for the American troops, “Hold Steady” is an extremely blues-based composition lauding those who give their lives for the American way. “We understand your sacrifice, appreciate that you paid the price, and we know our freedom don’t come free.”

The album closes with “Brothers in Blood,” a song about, well, coming full circle. For those who followed KEEL through the years, they never really broke up, and you’ll hear it in the line, “I’ve had a good time running, but we never said goodbye.” It’s a celebration of KEEL as a complete unit, coming back together, sharing their history and building on their past successes. From the heartfelt guitar solos to Miller’s powerful, pounding rhythms, and Keel’s final scream, it’s impossible to believe they haven’t been together these entire two and a half decades.

How KEEL found the Streets of Rock & Roll matters, because you can comprehend how their past struggles, their time finding their way as individuals and not as part of a unit, created the music you’ll hear today on this release. No band wants to be stricken with the moniker of being “the most underrated Hard Rock band” out there, but even after selling over two million albums, KEEL should be more of a household name. And even if Streets of Rock & Roll doesn’t get them into your home, the music industry is cyclical and this album gives KEEL more than a fighting chance to stand out amongst their peers and maybe get a deserved second dice toss at musical fame. Upon hearing Streets of Rock & Roll, it’s clear KEEL won’t let it slip by a second time …

Online: www.keelnation.com

Label: Frontiers Records

Track listing:

Streets Of Rock & Roll
Hit The Ground Running
Come Hell Or High Water
Push & Pull
Does Anybody Believe
No More Lonely Nights
The Devil May Care (But I Don’t)
Lookin’ For A Good Time
Gimme That
Hold Steady
Live
Brothers In Blood

Hardrock Haven Rating: 8.9/10