Richie Kotzen Exposes His Soul to a Sold Out Atlanta Crowd!

An Evening with Richie Kotzen
April 23, 2018
Atlanta, GA – City Winery

An unusually cold April Monday night in Atlanta just seemed like the perfect night to take in a show.  On this evening I would be seeing a show by an artist that I have respected for many, many years and even been a fan of but yet knew next to nothing about the majority of his solo career.  Richie Kotzen is pretty much a legend in his own right.  His legendary Shrapnel Fever Burn album, his short tenure in Poison, and his stellar Mother Head’s Family Reunion are pretty much all I know of this guy so seeing this show was going to be a real treat.

I literally went into this show blind as a bat to his solo material over the past 20 years or so.  This can sometimes be a scary thing but it can be a very exciting thing as well.  Richie Kotzen and his trio consisting of Mike Bennett on drums and Dylan Wilson on bass took the stage and stormed out of the gates with “Your Entertainer.”  Good fucking god my face just slid right off of my head.  I was not expecting this level of soul infused shred rock.  “Bad Situation” just took things to a whole other level as Richie and Co. laid down the stank so hard I felt like I was in the grittiest soul club somewhere in the deep south.

“Go Faster” kicked shit up a notch but shit got fucking real when the band busted out “Socialite” from Richie’s Mother Head’s Family Reunion album.  First off, how the fuck was everyone able to just sit down for this show.  It was everything I could do to contain myself from kicking my seat from under me and somersaulting down the fucking aisle yelling “I SEE THE LIGHT!” ala John Belushi Blues Brothers style.

Richie was such an amazing performer and he was really engaging.  With that being said, he still chose to let the music do the talking as he mellowed things out on the piano for some amazing renditions of “The Road” and “Meds.”  The highlight of the show for me was the absolutely stellar “End of Earth” which once again had me relying my inner groove child to do all the funky moves and grooves while I contained myself to my seat as to not be escorted out in a straight jacket.

The chorus for “End of Earth” is so goddamn infectious that I felt like I was lifted out of my seat.  The interplay between the band in that song is something to be seen and not just heard.  I loved the fact that Richie takes a backseat now and then to really let his band mates showcase their talents.  It’s a rare thing for a lot of artists but Richie just seems to be this confident yet humble and respectful character.  The band closed out with “War Paint” which was outstanding but honestly, “End of Earth” is such a hard song to top that I would have closed with that one.

Richie Kotzen and his band absolutely floored me; melted my face; crushed it.  The songs were so packed full of heart, soul, groove, and emotion and his set list was perfectly sequenced so that it felt more like an emotional journey than just a band playing a bunch of songs.  This show without a doubt made me a huge Richie Kotzen fan and since that night I haven’t been able to stop listening to his material.  That, my friends, is the sign of a truly great artist.  If you haven’t seen Richie Kotzen live, you are sadly missing out and you best do so ASAP.  You’re welcome.

About The Author

Don

I have been running this blog since 2009. AKA as the Great Southern Brainfart, Southeast of Heaven is my baby now and forever. I’ve had my ups and downs with bands over the years but they are all great experiences and memories. My Swedish friend Charlie said once, “Don is known for being one of the meanest bastards in American rock journalism.” It’s nice to be loved.

I also once took a shit in Anthrax’s dressing room toilet and didn’t flush.

See author's posts