John Corabi
November 13, 2014
Marietta, GA – 120 Music Hall
You know how whenever you hear that certain song sung by that certain singer, you just know that you’ve heard some something really special? Everything about it just sucks you in and makes you a fan and makes you want to just hear and own everything by that person? Well, that is exactly the deal with John Corabi. Back in 1991 when I first heard “Man in the Moon” by The Scream I knew I was hearing something truly unique and amazing. His soulful, gruff voice full of passion and power almost kind of reminded me of a hard rock version of Gregg Allman. Once I purchased Let It Scream album, I was floored and I just wanted more.
Since picking up that Scream debut, I followed Corabi in his brief but mind blowing stint in ’94 with Motley Crue, I picked up both Union albums (his band with Bruce Kulick, formerly of KISS), and to my delight in 2013 his acoustic album “Unplugged.” This album acted somewhat as an anthology featuring acoustic renditions of songs spanning his obscure but fantastically awesome career. Unfortunately, with the exception of one amazing set opening for Cinderella a few years back, Corabi never made it to Atlanta for a solo show. Well, all that changed when it was announced that he would be doing a solo acoustic show at 120 Tavern in Marietta, GA.
Well, I don’t really get OTP (outside the perimeter, into the burbs) much but for a John Corabi show I very happily made the 40 minute trek to the north side of town on this unusually bitter cold night. First off, the venue is pretty fucking rad. It’s a killer bar/restaurant with a music hall in a separate part of the building. Plenty of free parking and I actually felt pretty safe which is another telltale sign you’re not in Atlanta folks. I made my way into the venue, got myself a Stella on draft and hooked up with some friends. The show started off with an opening set by guitarist Dixie Duncan. He opened his set with a pretty cool combo of songs utilizing effect pedals and what not. It was great at first but after about 3 songs I was kind of over it as it just started to get a little annoying to be honest. The guy was really talented but just not my cup of tea.
Just after 10pm John Corabi strolled out on stage to a heft roar from the modest but very vocal and appreciative audience. My first thought while surveying the room was, “Why isn’t this place packed to the fucking rafters?” Just proof once again some of the best treasures in music lie buried deep and cherished by the few who chose to dig deeper behind the surface to find something that is truly great. John announced, “I’m going to do something different. I’m going to play this first song and then I’m just going to let you all pick the songs you want to hear.” With that he launched into a soulfully rousing version of the Union song “Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore)” which had everyone singing along.
From there, Corabi would deliver a marathon 2 hour set that, much like his acoustic album, played as an anthology of his career pulling from The Scream, Union, and an outstanding selection of Motley Crue songs such as “Misunderstood”, “Loveshine”, and a version of “Driftaway” that segued seamlessly into “Home Sweet Home” which had the hairs on my arm standing up and everyone singing along at the top of their lungs. You’ve never truly heard how great that song can be until you’ve heard it sung with the heart and passion that John Corabi puts into it.
It was also humorous to hear people yelling out some insane requests. With every request that came at him he graciously acknowledged it and even at times had a brief conversation with the person who put in the request which I thought was really fucking cool. Hell, at one point I requested, “Father Mother Son” and he said, “Wow. What’s your name? Don? Well, let me tell you how this song came about” and proceeded to tell the story while making eye contact with me. That is something I will never forget for as long as I live and again, I felt that connection and for the brief moment was the only one in the room. That’s pretty fucking powerful if you ask me.
In addition to a stellar choice of original material, it was also awesome to see him having fun with a great selection of covers such as Aerosmith’s “Seasons of Wither”, “Signs”, and “Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles. After a face melting rendition of the Scream classic “Man in the Moon”, Corabi left the stage and returned with a jaw dropping encore of “Walkin’ the Dog” which slid right into the Beatles’ classic “Oh Darling.”
John Corabi has a way of creating a truly intimate and engaging setting to the point where it felt like he was playing in my living room with a bunch of friends just hanging out. With just his guitar, his voice, a handful of stories, and a magnetic personality, John Corabi did alone what most bands can’t do with all the glitz, glamour, and over hyped production. He connected with the audience and put on an unforgettable performance. This was the kind of show that many artists strive for in their lifetime and John Corabi managed to do it with ease, with a touch a class, and a touch a crass. It’s shows like this that make me happy and proud to be a fan of an artist without a doubt.
John Corabi Setlist:
Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore), Everything’s Alright, Hypnotized, My Friend, Seasons of Wither, If I Never Get to Say Goodbye, Father Mother Son, Misunderstood, Loveshine, If I Had A Dime, Hard Luck Woman. Never Loved Her Anyway, Driftaway / Home Sweet Home, Signs, Crash, Hooligan’s Holiday, October Morning Wind, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Man in the Moon
Encore:
Walkin’ the Dog, Oh! Darling
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