Just a few weeks after my first-ever visit there to see Michael Schenker, I returned to Jergel’s Rhythm Grill in Warrendale (north of Pittsburgh) in November to see Last In Line, the group formed by past members of Dio following the 2010 passing of singer Ronnie James Dio. Arriving early, I enjoyed the rare opportunity to be right up in front of the stage (front row) to view this concert from start to finish.
A name you might recognize from Q94 Classic Rock’s “Homegrown Rocker” program, Johnstown’s Blood Union led off with their powerful set of original rock. Singer and guitarist Tim Frick, guitarist Jay Snider, bassist Ron Gallucci and drummer Ben Frick came out the gate firing, waking up the arriving crowd with hard-hitting originals like “Sweet Misery,” “Survive,” “Suffocate” and “Let Me In.” They introduced a couple of new tunes, “The Best Part of You (Was Me)” and “Knock You Out,” and ended with their fist-raising anthem “Lit.”
Next was Steubenville, Ohio’s Spinning Jenny, a family rock group comprised of three sisters Balzano – Julia on lead vocals and guitar, Talia on drums and vocals, and Angelina on bass and vocals – plus dad John Balzano on guitar. Spinning Jenny’s set featured four strong, hard-rocking original songs – “Low,” “Reflection,” “Again, Unmend” and their newest, “Fall River” – and they also did versions of Alice In Chains’ “Down in A Hole” and the Cranberries’ “Zombie.” Spinning Jenny sounded sharp, and received a good response from the audience.
Following them was New York City-based power metal trio Brand Of Julez, who also showcased original songs. Featuring brothers Julez Zamora on lead vocals and guitar and Brandon Zamora on bass and vocals, plus a drummer named Chris, Brand Of Julez stormed through powerful original numbers like “Lights Go Out,” “Take It All Away” and more.
And headliners Last In Line celebrated the legacy of Ronnie James Dio mixing Dio classics with several of their own original numbers. The line-up – singer Andrew Freeman (formerly with Lynch Mob and The Offspring), guitarist Vivian Campbell (of Dio and Def Leppard fame), bassist Phil Soussan (who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol) and drummer Vinnie Appice (who played with Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell) – opened with “Landslide” from the group’s latest album, “II.” They followed with two Dio songs, “Stand Up and Shout” and “Straight Through the Heart,” before introducing “Hurricane Orlagh,” a song from Last In Line’s newly-released EP. Last In Line did more Dio classics such as “Holy Diver,” “The Last in Line,” “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” and “Rainbow in the Dark.” Phil dedicated the Last In Line original “Starmaker” in memory of the group’s former bassist, Jimmy Bain, who passed in 2016. The group introduced their version of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” also from their new EP. The group finished out the concert by playing their number “Devil In Me,” before closing out with the high-powered Dio classic “We Rock.” Last In Line was excellent – Andrew demonstrated a powerful and high-flying voice that served the Dio material well; and the rest of this group delivered the thunder and firepower. And being on the front line to enjoy it all made this one of the best concert experiences I have had in quite a while!
