After waiting for 14 years I FINALLY got to witness one of the best shows that I have seen in a long, LONG time... WINGER!! Kip Winger, Reb Beach, Rod Morgenstein and John Roth blew the roof off of the Avalon Nightclub in Santa Clara, CA.
Winger is out on the last leg of their U.S. tour in support of their newly released CD Winger IV and I have to say that the CD is great. Winger IV, released last November in the U.S. picks up right where the band’s last CD Pull left off and if you ask me, their live performance is even better. They were fun, personable and DEAD-ON with the music. These guys haven’t lost a step, believe me!!
This show took place on March 1 and for a Thursday night the place was PACKED. Back in the day Winger got such a bad wrap simply because they were good-looking. Many men would not admit that they dug the band for fear of what their friends might say. Most of the “metal heads” that I hung out with back then used to accuse Kip of not even being able to play the bass... well they were WRONG!! I have always felt that Winger was one of the most unfairly labeled, underrated bands of their time. Each one of these musicians have put forth fantastic solo projects during the 14 years that Winger was disbanded and now that they are back together they are out in FULL FORCE just blowing apart any stereotypes that they were labeled with in the past. As I looked around the crowd I could see many women enjoying both the sound and the sights but make no mistake... there were just as many, if not more men out there just rocking out and singing every word to every song they heard.
The chemistry on stage between these musicians (and old friends) was just incredible. Reb Beach is TRULY a “Guitar God” without question. Reb’s sound can be heard in many different places. He has played as lead guitarist with Dokken and is currently still playing with Whitesnake. Reb has a couple of solo albums under his belt and a recent CD with his band The Mob. Reb has been a session guitarist since 1985 and has always been in high demand. The list of artists that Reb has lended his unique talent to is so diverse it would really blow your mind. 
He is so powerful with his style and technique. His riffs are so complete and colorful and his transitions are so smooth. He plays with so much intensity and yet he makes it all look so easy. He is just magical to watch. Rod Morgenstein is a “Thunder God” in his own right. Rod teaches percussion at Berkley and to watch him unleash is an experience in itself. The man knows what he is doing and what’s more... you can see the fun that he’s having when he’s up there doing what he obviously loves to do. John Roth is an incredible guitarist as well. This is a man who knows how to play the blues. We all got just a small taste of that during this show and it definitely left me wanting more. Kip was fantastic. He still has one HELL of a set of pipes and had no problem hitting every note with power and conviction. His bass playing was loud and hard... not to mention his keyboard talents. Together this band is phenomenal.
Opening with Blind Revolution Mad off of the Pull album the band played an approximate 90 minute set that included many of their hits such as Seventeen, Headed For A Heartbreak, Madalaine, etc. They played a few new songs such as Right Up Ahead and Great Escape as well as some of my personal favorites such as Junkyard Dog and Who’s The One….simply fantastic! Reb’s solo was face-melting but then I wouldn’t have expected anything less. We all got a real treat when the band decided to stray from the setlist and closed the show with Hungry! Evidently they don’t play that one very often but I think that they should... it ROCKED!!
All in all this show was everything that I hoped it would be and more. As I said before, I was one of those fans that waited 14 long years for this reunion and after the last show back in 1993 during the Pull tour I was curious to see how they would measure up as that show was pretty amazing. Well... they pulled it off in a big way. Some things really do get better with time and Winger has proved this to be true. This show has something for everybody so if you get the chance to see Winger, do NOT miss it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
