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COLUMBUS, OH-
“…It’s not often that I get to cover my friends now that I’ve moved to the east side of the country, but my hometown heroes, The Mighty Bellrays, opened the show with an electrifying set spanning much of their 30-plus-year career. Led by the supersonic duo of Lisa Kekaula and her powerful vocals, and Bob Vennum on his equally powerful guitar, they were joined by longtime drummer Craig S. Waters and bassist Nico Miles, bringing the thunder and lightning. They released Heavy, Steady, GO!!, their 11th studio album, in August 2024 and have been touring Europe, a stint with Social Distortion, and more Europe before bringing the “Rock Show” to the first half of this tour.
“Blues for Godzilla” kicked off their 11-song set. They spent a good amount of time on tracks from Heavy, Steady, GO!!, including “I Fall Down,” “California,” “Hard Drive,” and “Shakes,” before taking a trip down to “Pinball City” from their Hard, Sweet and Sticky album (which is my favorite album of theirs). Their punked-up rendition of The Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion” followed—it’s much faster than the original or even the Love and Rockets version, and it fit perfectly into their high-octane set. “Black Lightning” has been a fan favorite since its release in 2010 and is now a staple in their live shows. They typically close with “Startime,” a unique number where Lisa introduces each band member as they take solos—bringing each to the forefront before a final collective blowout.
They are the purveyors of Maximum Rock and Soul. They blow up the stage with electric dynamite every time. They’re one of those bands that just gets better with each show. Since “blues is the teacher and punk is the preacher,” The Bellrays are the evangelists spreading the gospel of punk, rock, and soul. They head to the UK in June for a string of dates before rejoining The Damned in September for the next North American leg (which includes a stop in Cincinnati—I’ll be there) and then back to Europe in October. They show no signs of slowing down, which makes me very happy…”
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