Review & photos by Jimmy Ski
The night started off with a band called The Vandoliers. I wasn’t familiar with them, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They came out determined to make a statement. Their sound was a great mix of punk rock attitude blended with a country flavor. High-energy rock paired with a fiddle player absolutely shredding is always awesome to see live. After that set, I knew things were going to be copacetic.
A long way from Fritz’s Corner, a sports bar in Zion, Illinois, came Local H. They hit the stage with pure grunge-era attitude. I looked around at the crowd, and everyone was alive with energy. They played a set full of good old hard-hitting rock songs mixed with deep cuts. By the time the set finished, it felt like they had fulfilled their manifest destiny, and now all the kids were alright.
Then, straight from the Possum Kingdom, came Toadies. They played a mix of new songs from their newly released album along with old favorites. The riff from I Come from the Water hit, and you could literally feel the crowd go electric. I hadn’t heard that song in years, and it instantly took me back to the mid-’90s. And let me say: these guys still rock — maybe more now than ever.
Ultimately, it was a great show, a great lineup, and a great time.
Vandoliers
Local H
Toadies
