Originally written 4/23/ 2007
I need to state up top, I had absolutely no desire for this to happen. I am not proud, nor happy about this. But there is more to the story.
It was time to head back on the road to frigid Wilkes Barre, PA. We had booked Taking Back Sunday to do a signing, so I came in for the first of my 2 nights stay to the infamous Woodlands. The people at the front desk know me by now from previous visits (or just recognized my AmEx card). The girl at the counter says “O, are you here for the Quiet Riot concert tomorrow?” “Uh, no, I am here to cover the TBS signing, they’re a much hipper band these days.” I had known that QR was playing the hotel going up.
A radio station up there booked a ballroom in the hotel for their ‘birthday party’. Now, I don’t know much about this ‘classic rock’ station, but I’m willing to say that they don’t play QR songs more than 10 times a year. The station gave out free tickets to the show. It was quite a big to-do at the hotel. When I came back at about 6, they were already cordoning off the parking lot. They expected so many people to come to this shindig, they had off site parking at the racetrack down the street, and shuttles between.
Yes, for a Quiet freaking Riot show.
I had made plans with a former Gallery employee Kevin to do something that night. I was hoping that Kev would take me to the Slovak club, where the beers are like 75 cents. Now that’s my idea of a good time. I’m in my room for a bit, my cell goes off, and it’s Kevin saying,”Hey, you at the Woods?” “Duh, yea. Where we going tonight?” “Well, we’re coming to you. Me and a friend are coming to the show. We’re gonna hang out till it’s a bitch to get a beer.” “Um, OK, I’ll meet ya there.”
The die was cast. I was going to see Quiet Riot. But only to see a friend.
We meet up in the ballroom. We were strategically positioned by the door so we could get a load of the people that a free QR show would draw. And we weren’t disappointed. Plenty of NASCAR stuff (and for the record, I have to state that I coincidentally had an Earnhardt shirt on). We saw lots of mullet-type do’s, though not one strict mullet per say. We saw a few guys with the cap or do rag covering a bit of the party-in –the-rear-hair. I saw one dude in a denim jacket, long ponytail, carrying a QR LP wrapped in plastic.
Now, let’s take a look at that guy. Probably square dude, just got off working Radio Shack. But, let’s zero in on the vinyl LP. This begs some questions. 1) How long has he had said vinyl? 2) is he a true QR fan, or someone who just happened to have a QR LP hanging around and decided to try to get it signed? I would be curious to know.
It seemed to me that a lot of people were a bit nervous about being there. A lot of people seemed to be looking around, hoping not to see someone they know at the big Quiet Riot shew. I didn’t have to worry about that, since the only 2 people I knew in Wilkes Barre were already with me. Other people clearly embraced it. I saw one young kid-had to be like 22-23. He had on a 1984 QR jersey with the black sleeves cut off. He had on the Mike Reno/Loverboy red headband, too. I mean, c’mon, that was a joke right? There were a train of girls all done up in 80’s garb. Sadly, no frilly boots, though. And surprisingly, not enough animal print. I only saw one zebra print. I saw a few girls who dragged out all their 80’s garb they had in the closet for the last 25 years. Between you and me, most of that should have stayed in the closet. To quote the Rock, it was 10 pounds of monkey crap in a 5 pound bag.
There was a lot of people watching going on. Hell, there was a lot to see. But I really got the idea, it was people looking around, hoping not to be noticed at the big Quiet Riot show. They had 2 stages going on in the ballroom, so there was always music blaring. To be honest, some of the cover bands were actually pretty good. It’s getting past 11, time for the Riot to take the stage. They come out teasing Mama Weer All Crazey Now. And immediately go into a song I never heard of. Followed by another one. And another one. And another one. Lead singer Kevin Dubrow now sports a mid 80’s Rod Stewart do, complete with the hair in the back sticking up. It’s him, the original drummer, and 2 ‘other guys’ who I am sure don’t get paid squat.
They band was on the stage furthest away from us. And it’s funny how pretty much all the people between us and the stage could have cared less. I guess there were Wilkes Barre High reunions going on all over the place. It was just a mass of people hanging out; they weren’t even paying the band that much attention. I guess there were diehards at the front of the stage; I don’t know, I couldn’t see. It was becoming clear that the band was losing the crowd. Kevin and I said how they better slip in Weer All Crazy right about here to get the crowd back. Sure enough, that’s what they did. Then it was right back to the litany of songs no one ever heard. Dubrow made numerous mentions of their new CD Rehab, and played a lot of songs from it.
So it’s going on an hour now, and still no signs of Metal Health or Cum On Feel the Noize. Poor Kevin and his friend Jimmy had had enough, and decided to pack it in. They left. And I realized that I am now at a Quiet Riot show.
In the year 2007.
And I am by myself.
At this point, a decision had to be made. Clearly, I wasn’t going to see anyone I knew there. And we had been there for hours. I was thisclose to getting the 2 songs everyone came for. So do I now pack it in, or stay for the finale? I decided that I might as well stay for the money songs. Now you would think that irony would have the band play the 2 songs right after Kev and Jimmy left. But guess what? Not! They still had more songs to play. This was getting ridiculous. Finally, they get to Metal Health. Then Cum On. During Cum On, they went into a medley of another song I never heard. That was it. That was my cue to end the evening.
Ya kinda gotta feel for bands like QR. Clearly, there time has passed, and I think they know they aren’t musically relevant, and are never going to get another top 10 album. And here’s a band that has 3 popular songs (OK, 4 if you want to count Slick Back Cadillac) and 2 of those songs are covers. By the same damn band (Slade). In a way, I do admire them for playing on. What else are they supposed to do? It beats digging graves or washing houses. They still get to see the world, and live a bit of that old life now and then. Sure, it’s not as glamorous as it used to be. For this show, they had to take a red eye from CA to Jersey, and then get driven to the hotel. It seems like they are still making a living playing music.
But I really feel for them. Probably they close the show every night with those same 2 songs, which aren’t even theirs. I am sure the radio station doesn’t even play those songs too much. And then they play these new tunes that probably 95% of the crowd could care less for. I told Kevin I would admire them if they just got up, played those 3 songs and said good night.
The next morning, I was checking out, and the girl behind the counter kinda whispers to me “Did you go to the show?” Reluctantly, I nodded yes, and said it was just to people watch.
Added Commentary
How ironic this was my last visit to Wilkes Barre and my beloved Woodlands hotel. I had many, many drunken nights there. I still miss WB. All the people I met up there were cool, and it’s a pretty cool town. I think about those Gallery of Sound stores often. Truly one of the coolest indie stores left.
DuBrow died a few months after this show. The Riot has been Quieted. I still trade emails with Kevin from time to time. He’s moved on from Gallery to FEMA. He should be used to working in shitty conditions after working record retail so long.
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