Kix
Wolf Den
Uncasville, Connecticut
March 6, 2010
Tony Pijar
Unfortunately, Kix doesn’t tour that much anymore, and forget recording anything new. That said, when they do hit the road, they take it to the limit every time. If you’ve noticed, mostly every US summer festival invites Kix year in and year out, and continues to slot them higher and higher on the bill. Why? Because they are visually exciting and musically exceptional. Vocalist Steve Whiteman is still one of the best vocalists in the business, and Brian Forsythe and Ronnie Younkins are so in harmony it’s scary. And mark Schenker and Jimmy Chalfant provide an airtight rhythm section.
The last two times I saw Kix perform was when they played Rocklahoma; thus, an abbreviated set. At the Wolf Den, they were able to stretch out a bit. They opened with “Midnite Dynamite” and the instantly hummable “Girl Money.” The seldom-played “Heartache” from the band’s debut led nicely into the eternally funny “Sex” (the intro tape still cracks me up). “The Kid”, also from their debut, is catchy and heavily with a killer chorus. As an aside, you should really pick up the band’s debut – amazing stuff that was well ahead of its time.
Next, we got a healthy representation from the band’s finest moment, “Blow my Fuse.” The top ten ballad of the day, “Don’t Close your Eyes”, the other chart topper in “Cold Blood”, the title track, “She Dropped me the Bomb”, and “Get it While it’s Hot” all sounded very AC/DC-ish with razor-sharp guitars ripping through the night. The encore, predictably, was “Yeah Yeah Yeah” equipped with that patented Steve Whiteman rap. And at the conclusion of the song, Whiteman straddled a huge plastic bag with several colored balls within, and when he pounced on them balls went everywhere.
When an audience leaves a show with a bounce in their step and a smile on their faces, you know it’s been a great ride!