Cinderella has always been a band that stood above the pack of bands they were always associated with. Cinderella has been considered by most a “hair band” such as Poison and Warrant but the only thing these guys had in common was hair and that’s about it. Even as a 13 year old kid, I can remember hearing “Nobody’s Fool” from their debut album “Night Songs” and feeling that these guys weren’t like all the other bands. Cinderella had really great songwriting with a bit of a dark edge. While their debut single “Shake Me” was more in key with the other glam metal bands, songs like “Nobody’s Fool”, “Night Songs” and “Back Home Again” set them high above the others by not just being good songs but for being dark and heavy as all hell. The band progressed through the years and seized their own identity as a more roots driven hard rock band with albums like “Long Cold Winter”, “Heartbreak Station” and the sadly overlooked “Still Climbing.”
25 years later, lead singer/guitarist Tom Keifer, bassist Eric Brittingham, guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Fred Coury have found themselves on the road once again and performing to packed houses of Cindrella fans both young and old. On this particular Friday night at Wild Bills in Duluth, GA, you could literally feel the electricity and excitement of the audience. The audience themselves was a fine mix of younger folks who are probably seeing them for the first time and the older, dedicated crowd that you could tell has been supporting this band from day one. It was even entertaining to see some fine young women in very little clothing and even more entertaining to see some of the older women who may have pulled these clothes off in their glory day but let’s put it this way, leather can only contain so much.
Somewhere around 11pm, Cinderella didn’t just take the stage; they stormed it with a scorching opener of “Second Wind” from the bands “Long Cold Winter” album. After having to cancel their 2008 tour because of Tom Keifer’s vocal chord injury, the band’s future was uncertain so to hear them back and opening with a song that says “My second wind gets me strong. I’m right back where I belong” was so appropriate. Keifer’s voice was in top notch shape and he was not about to waste this second wind of his.
Cinderella’s songs and sound has aged like a fine wine over the years. Nothing about them sounded the least bit dated or tired. Cinderella offered a really strong, solid set of material that while heavy on the hits side are nothing less than timeless classics. No big surprises but what looks “good” on paper was actually nothing less than stellar in person. The band was in great spirits and you can tell by just watching them that these are more than just four guys in a band. They are four friends who have been through thick and thin together. This is very obvious to the audience and that good vibe and nature is contagious and it just makes you love them all that much more.
Cinderella delivered such classics as “Somebody Save Me” and “The Last Mile” which sounded very fresh and inspired. “Night Songs” had Keifer sporting his trademark top hat and double neck Gibson guitar. The band brought it down a notch with an absolutely beautiful “Heartbreak Station” that had everyone singing along only to go right into “Coming Home” which is such an uplifting song. As Tom Keifer would sing the line, “I’m on my way” I could see the other guys looking at each other and smiling ear to ear. I was so feeling the love from this band and wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere but there.
The musical interplay between Keifer and guitarist Jeff LaBar is something to be seen and is a guitar players dream. These guys play so damn good and it’s amazing to watch them play off each other as they root each other on to take it to the next level. Drummer Fred Coury is such a solid and yet entertaining drummer that never stops smiling. He plays with such a fluid, laid back focused style while locking in tight with bassist Eric Brittingham to create one of the tightest rhythm sections in hard rock that I’ve ever seen.
Keifer is without a doubt the MVP of the band as he struts, works the crowd and sings himself into pure exhaustion. The sweat poured off of his face and onto his leather pants like someone that just doused him with a bucket of water. Keifer busted out the saxophone to take a kick ass solo in “Shelter Me”, he played the lap steel guitar in “Heartbreak Station” and yet still managed to find time to run from one end of the stage to the other to lift the audience. From the look of it, everyone was definitely uplifted and loving every moment of it. Tom Keifer is easily the most giving front man I have ever seen in Rock & Roll and that’s even more so than I remembered him being. He gave 110% and at times looked like he could collapse from sheer exhaustion. As the band launched into their classic “Nobody’s Fool,” Tom dropped to his knees and just held his head in his hands as everyone just went nuts. He rose to his feet and as he began to sing, the audience sang as loud as he did. He looked so moved and just took that energy only to give it right back. The band closed with a one two punch as they delivered a “Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone” that gave me goose bumps and a face melting version of “Shake Me” that had the band leaving it all on the stage.
When the house lights came on nobody wanted to leave. I just stood there for a second taking it all in and I knew there was no way that band had nothing else to give us. They had left it all out on that stage giving us 120% to say the least. It’s exciting to see a band like Cinderella doing so well in these days because it just proves that good Rock & Roll music is truly timeless. Cinderella is Hard Rock for the soul. It’s impossible to not feel moved or inspired when listening to this band. Cinderella proved to me that when it is done well and done right, it can be done for many years to come. The way these guys performed leads me to believe that nothing but open road and good days await them. I just hope that road brings them back my way again soon.
Cinderella – August 6, 2010 – Atlanta, GA
Second Wind
Push Push
Somebody Save Me
The Last Mile
Night Songs
Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams
Heartbreak Station
Coming Home
Shelter Me
Nobody’s Fool
Gypsy Road
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Don’t Know What You Got (Til it’s Gone)
Shake Me
Cinderella Photo Gallery
[svgallery name=”Cinderella – August 6, 2010 – Atlanta, GA”]
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