Rockers of Radio @ Willow Creek Winery, Sheridan, NY
Saturday, July 24, 2010
By: Dee Haley
The Rockers of Radio took to the stage on Saturday at about 8:30 PM at the Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, New York. The show started late because of inclement weather in the area. Heavy rain, wind and even a nearby tornado touched down, but that could not stop the Rockers of Radio, Jimi Jamison (Survivor) and Derek St. Holmes (former Ted Nugent guitarist) from a thunderous performance beneath what became the glow of a full moon after the storm.
Jimi Jamison opened up with "Burnin Heart" and after belting out a few more Survivor hits, he was joined by special guest Derek St. Holmes who played guitar and took over on vocals for "Cat Scratch Fever" and other Nugent staples. The crowd roared at the onset of "Stranglehold" as several Nugent fans began to holler out requests.
Jimi Jamison returned to the mic for an extended cover version of "Road House Blues," which featured a little medley that included a portion of Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind of Wonderful," the introduction of the band and some trading places with Hal Butler on the keys. Jimi's melodic voice sounded great and as strong as ever from start to finish.
Derek St. Holmes then returned to the stage for "Eye of the Tiger," featuring a guitar solo by Jerry Riggs. Riggs' lead guitar work was well complemented by that of Derek St. Holmes throughout the night. The earlier downpour did not dampen the spirit of the performers or the audience as fans sang along.
At about 10:15 PM, former Boston singer Fran Cosmo (Vocals, Guitar) hit the stage running with "Rock & Roll Band." He was accompanied by his son, Anthony Cosmo (Boston) on guitar. Fran impressively reached the high notes as his band poured out hit after hit. His son was absolutely amazing and shredded Boston tunes with a sharper edge and less of the "phase" guitar sound that I'm used to. Personally, I really liked it because he made it his own.
For those who stuck it out through the thunderstorms, this show was worth the wait. I feel sorry for the folks who missed this one. If you get a chance to see these "Rockers of Radio" perform, don't miss out! You won't be disappointed. Stay logged into www.backstageaxxess.com for an interview with both Jimi and Derek coming soon.
Set List:
Jimi Jamison & Derek St. Holmes
Burnin Heart
High on You
Is This Love
I'll Be There (Baywatch Theme)
Cat Scratch Fever
Stranglehold
Hey Baby
The Search is Over
Roadhouse Blues (Doors Cover)
Some Kind of Wonderful (Grand Funk Railroad Cover)
Roadhouse Blues (continuation)
Eye of The Tiger
We would like to thank all the staff at the willow Creek Winery for making Backstageaxxess.com feel right at home. For more information on the Willow Creek Winery, please go to: http://willowcreekwines.net/.
