Weekly Concert Update, Part 1 of 2 - QUIET RIOT Tonight, KYUSS LIVES!/THE SWORD, PROTEST THE HERO/SCALE THE SUMMIT Wednesday

There's quite a few new concerts for the Twin Cities area that have been announced (I'll get to those in a separate post), but don't forget about a couple shows this week. Tonight the history-making Quiet Riot returns to the area for a show at G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley. Dorydrive and Horizontal Hero open the show, which is 21+ and only $12. I've seen Quiet Riot in different incarnations going back to the Condition Critical tour, and they always put on an entertaining show full of songs that you love but often hate to admit. Of course, Kevin Dubrow is deceased and guitarist Carlos Cavazo is gone, but Metal Health-era members Frankie Banali and Chuck Wright are soldiering on with guitarist Alex Grossi and vocalist Mark Huff. If you had the chance to see Mark singing with Van Halen tribute band 5150 when they've the area in the past, then you already know that he's got a great, strong voice. I caught Quiet Riot earlier this year when they were co-headling with Dokken, and Mark does an awesome job of being true to Kevin Dubrow's style without sounding like a clone. Check out "Metal Health" and "The Wild And The Young" with Mark Huff singing. 

Watch Quiet Riot perform "Metal Health" on March 19, 2011 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, MN.

Watch Quiet Riot perform "The Wild And The Young" on March 19, 2011 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, MN.

 

Two shows are going on Wednesday, November 30. Kyuss Lives! and The Sword will be storming into First Avenue in Minneapolis for what promises to be a great one. Guitarist Josh Homme isn't a part of this reunion, however. Kyuss is arguably the greatest stoner metal band, and they laid down the blueprint for everyone after them. I feel fortunate to have seen Kyuss three times, first at the Vic Theater in Chicago on the Blues For The Red Sun tour opening for Danzig and White Zombie, next at the Empty Bottle in Chicago with Stompbox on the Sky Valley tour, and another headline show at the Hurricane in Kansas City on the final ...And The Circus Leaves Town tour. This should be a heck of a night. Also this same night Protest The Hero and Scale The Summit team up at Station 4 in St. Paul with local support from Last Chance To Reason and Windowvine.