LoNero
(supporting Tony Macalpine)
October 21, 2014
Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
When I first heard LoNero back in 2011 I knew I was hearing something pretty special. This wasn’t just your ordinary shred your face instrumental hard rock/metal band. LoNero was a band that multi-faceted and didn’t seem to truly be comfortable identifying with just one particular sound. This fact right here is what pulled me in. In 2011 the band released their fantastic J.F.L album and did a great tour with Pat Travers. The big issue was this: they NEVER made it out to the East Coast. I just assumed that since they were so rooted on the West Coast that I would never get to see them live. Well, all of that changed this year!
A few months back, LoNero announced that they would be hitting the road for an East Coast/Midwest tour as the opening act for legendary shredder Tony Macalpine. This news had me so fucking pumped. I was finally going to get to see one of my favorite bands. This would be the 2nd time this year that I was getting to see a band that I never thought I’d get to see live so you can only imagine the happy dance I was doing.
Smith’s Olde Bar had a nice crowd forming in line to get in and once everyone was let in I was surprised to see how many people rushed the stage. Smith’s isn’t usually a place where people rush the stage like this but on this night, everyone wanted to be up front to see Macalpine rip shit up. Well, this was great for LoNero because when they took the stage, there was a great crowd up front ready to see what these cats were all about. I looked around and talked to a few folks, none of whom had ever heard of LoNero. I was so psyched to see how they would take to the band.
LoNero took to the stage and lead man Bill Lonero approached the mic. He thanked everyone for coming out, announced the band and they slammed right into “Defiant” off of the band’s upcoming release The Defiant Machine. Right out of the gates mouths dropped open, heads started banging, and I could feel myself being completely blown away. Without even batting an eye the band kicked into “Loose” from 2007’s Relentless album and they were off. I loved hearing this song so much with it’s Joe Satriani meets Dream Theater kind of arrangement. Everyone seemed to really be grooving at this point and I could tell that they were winning over people left and right.
Midway through the set the band launched into the Rocky theme which brought a huge roar from the crowd while Bill introduced his amazing band of players. Once the band was introduced they slid right into “Automanic” from Relentless. Just watching how fluid and smooth these guys were with their transitions was something that everyone should see. With three guitarists and a bassist playing a fretless bass, this could easily be a recipe for disaster and one big hot mess but not for LoNero. These guys make it looks so effortless and at times even seem to be communicating telepathically never missing a mark.
LoNero played a mindblowing setlist pulling from the JFL and Relentless albums but it was the 11 minute epic “Burning of Ideals” that was without a doubt the highlight of the night. Lonero took the mic and announced, “This next one is a long one but I promise you won’t get bored.” With that the band launched into the song and the best way I can describe it is as an epic instrumental that sounds like something Iron Maiden would do if they were an instrumental band. The interplay on this song between guitarist Lonero, James Manalili, and Nasser Abdalla was bringing some great cheers from the crowd and they managed to play around each other only to lock it down into some of the sweetest three part harmonies I’ve ever heard. Bassist Mike McKaigg is ungodly on the fretless bass while drummer Marco Bicca plays with such a fluid groove that keeps the band flowing and never sounding stale or rigid. Everything about this song just ruled my face and got me so excited for the release of this album. LoNero closed out their powerhouse facemelting set with another new song from the upcoming album called “The Machine” and in closing the band received a huge ovation from the crowd.
Watching LoNero live is exciting. The band is passionate, tight, and unlike most prog bands they actually have stage presence. They truly feel and love the music that they are playing and it shows in their performance. What I also love about Lonero is that in the live setting they really prove that they can appeal to the masses. From the diehard ProgPower fan to the Iron Maiden metal head who appreciates songs with multiple structures to the old school Guitar for the Practicing Musician Shrapnel shredheads, LoNero has something for everyone. The band’s performance was exciting and at 48 minutes long I felt like I could’ve easily watched them play another hour. LoNero came, they saw, and they definitely conquered. Its shows like this that make me proud and happy to be a fan of band. Now I can only hope I won’t have to wait another 3 years to see them live again.
About The Author
