On Wednesday March 7th I was privileged to attend the release party for Vh1’s Metal Mania Stripped Vol. 3 at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA. Playing to a completely packed house (the fullest it’s been in a long while I hear), 80’s Metal icons Queensryche, Tesla, Great White, Don Dokken and Jani Lane (ex-Warrant) convened to deliver a stellar night of acoustic entertainment. Each artist brought to the table song selections from their illustrious careers that helped to define them as musicians and establish them as super stars in the world of Rock. It’s a unique experience to catch these guys under such (pardon the pun) stripped down conditions. Once again putting to rest the notion that Metal musicians are sub-par and unable to create music that would appeal to a broader spectrum of fans, each artist held their ground and truly captivated all those in attendance.

Up first was Jani Lane and band who pulled out a couple of Warrant classics, “Heaven” and “Cherry Pie” before offering a couple of new songs. The classics were cool but it would have been a little more convincing if he had included “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” or “I Saw Red” and left out the new material which, I’m sorry to say, wasn’t very good. Following Jani was Don Dokken who, I’m again sorry to say, was pretty disappointing as well. He contributed great Dokken songs such as “Breaking The Chains” and “Alone Again”, but he was quite out of shape and his voice sounded scratchy and underpowered. I’ve definitely heard him do better. Hopefully he’ll have it all back the next time they come through town as a full unit. I need to add that I’ve seen Dokken perform many times over the years and have never been disappointed, so giving him the benefit of the doubt I look forward to the next time.

Next up was the reunited line-up of blues based rockers, Great White, featuring Jack Russell, Mark Kendall, Michael Lardie, Audie Desbrow and Sean McNabb. I’d actually seen perform just last month and was ecstatically happy to catch them again so soon. What really blew me away with their performance was that although it was unplugged, the band played so extremely well and rocked brilliantly in their visual performance that I forgot that it was an acoustic show. “Rock Me”, “House Of Broken Love”, “Rollin’ Stoned, “Save All Your Love” and “In The Tradition” rounded out their well-crafted set, but it was the cover of Zeppelin’s “Going To California” that truly astounded me. I never had the opportunity to see Zeppelin before their untimely demise and hearing this song live and played to perfection was as close as I’ll ever get to the real thing. Russell sounded exactly like Plant and Kendall and Lardie played so damn profoundly that I’m sure Page himself would have been moved to tears.

Tesla were another great triumph of the night when they hit the stage a-blazing. The crowd went absolutely ballistic and if you remember, it was Tesla who, back in the day, made a huge name for themselves as one of the first ever unplugged acts. Their Five Man Acoustical Jam album sold millions and made songs such as “Signs” and “Love Song” mega hits in the then mainstream. Differing considerably from the vibe that Great White presented, Tesla carried the spirit of a truly unplugged experience. I’ve always been fascinated with Tesla’s barroom mentality and heartland approach to their music. There’s a certain type of feel-goodism that I tap into when hearing their music. Not missing a note they gave a commanding performance and helped make this evening one that won’t be forgotten.

Seattle’s Queensryche wrapped up the night with a solid set of tunes that included “Eye’s Of A Stranger” and “Silent Lucidity” among others. Only Michael Wilton, Mike Stone and Geoff Tate performed, but the sound was amazing and Tate’s vocals were crisp and clear. Even Don Dokken made a comment that if he could sing as good as Geoff he would have sold a lot more albums.  The guys all looked good and were full of life and excitement. At the end of their set they were joined by all the other performers of the night for an all-star jam that sounded ridiculously good - it would have been cool if they had recorded it because it would definitely be something worth owning. A great finale for the evening’s festivities; I was blessed to have been a part.

-Priest