Firehouse hasn’t visited the Pittsburgh area for a while, but it was quite apparent that their fans haven’t forgotten about all of those hits from the early nineties as the sold-out crowd packed in close to the stage on Friday night at Jergel’s.
Fronted by CJ Snare with Bill Leverty on guitar, Michael Foster on drums, and Allen McKenzie on bass, Firehouse opened up their set with “Overnight Sensation” from their 1990 debut release, pulled out a deeper cut “Crash” from their more recent Prime Time album and then brought us back again with their first single “Shake & Tumble” to keep the momentum going. With three original members in check and Allen joining the band more than a decade ago, Firehouse has stayed true to their original sound and were in fact sounding better than ever.
You really can’t say enough about the passion of the Firehouse fans, and the special moments they shared belting out the ballads “When I look into Your Eyes,” “Love of a Lifetime” and “I Life My Life for You” often times much louder than the band. Notably, the band offers special VIP packages at each show offering fans opportunities to meet them or even join them on stage, and a couple took them up on this opportunity to celebrate a birthday and slow dance on stage. But, perhaps even more special was the moment when CJ took the iPhone from a couple that had been filming the entire show, and their reaction as he got them on video and took their phone around the stage to record the band up close.
But the set certainly wasn’t all ballads, with breaks for guitar and drum solos, and heavy crowd participation for classics like “Reach for the Sky” and “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” there was something to please every fan. And don’t forget those parting words they always seem to end a Firehouse show with, “Raise your voices… Raise your hands… Raise Hell!”
For more from Firehouse, check out our interview with Bill Leverty from 91.7 FM WNJR Washington (Pittsburgh, PA). Catch more radio interviews and pure rock programming, including solo music from Bill Leverty, Firehouse, and more on 91.7 FM WNJR Washington / Pittsburgh and online at WNJR.org daily from 3pm EST – Midnight. And, follow us @ThePureRockShop for the latest news.
