GUITAR DIGEST                                               

Guitar Digest Magazine and The Ohio Guitar Show-

www.guitardigest.com CONCERT REVIEW

RASPBERRIES

STATE THEATRE, CLEVELAND 10-14-07

By R.M. Engelman

Well, the stars were definitely in alignment.  It was perfect weather with a major storm a day away, Playhouse Square was in complete Christmas decoration, and a Salvation Army New Orleans style band greeted the loyal crowd entering the venue.  Eric Carmen said that he thought the band was playing better than they did in the old days.  The packed house agreed in unison, before, during, and after just about every song.  It was a mass sing-along, amongst yells from the audience to the original lineup of Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, Dave Smalley, and Jim Bonfanti.  The admirable supporting cast of musician/vocalists Billy Sullivan, Jennifer Lee, and Paul Sidoti, have been there since day one of the reunion shows.  Talk about loyalty, in addition to the fan base that covers the country catching the shows, the band even has their original road crew working the stage, and now the added onstage chemistry of the best of friends (and it shows)!

They played all of the hits including Tonight, (my personal favorite) Let’s Pretend, I Wanna Be With You, Ecstasy, Overnight Sensation and The Party’s Over sung by Wally.  An added feature was the inclusion of Eric Carmen’s album length solo song All By Myself and That’s Rock and Roll, and The Beatles Ticket To Ride with Wally on lead vocals.  The Choir’s hit It’s Cold Outside is always great to hear, especially when done with original members Dave (on vocals), Wally, and Jim.  The encores were The Who’s Substitute, and of course their biggest hit Go All The Way.  I’ve seen these guys since the beginning, and they’ve always had the swagger, stage presence, and musical ability, whether belting you with great originals, or doing a cover sometimes with more energy than the original.  They’re great guys, they’re having fun entertaining, and I agree with Eric, sound better than ever! 

Keep your eye opened for new dates on their website, and pick up the Live On Sunset Strip CD, and deluxe version with an added DVD!