Another night of great music at Jergels as fans arrived early to catch Stone Horses and Brother Cane in support of Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter Orianthi.
Stone Horses is a Rock band from the Baltimore area featuring John Allen and Jason Heiser of Charm City Devils, who our followers might also recognize as members of Child’s Play from our recent coverage of the final KIX band show. The two are joined by guitarist Jason Parks and bassist Dylan Howes.
While brief, their energetic bluesy-rock influenced opening set made an impression on the crowd including the Charm City Devils hit “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the soundtrack of the George Clooney movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” with other highlights including “Flirting with the Devil” and their finale of “When I Get Paid,” the title track from their latest release, which frontman John Allen pointed out is a great bargain at just over a dollar a song!
In support of their 30-year anniversary, Brother Cane has some really cool things available for fans including a reissue of their critically acclaimed 1993 self-titled debut album, making it available on vinyl for the first time.
In addition, the band went back into the studio with longtime collaborator and multi-platinum producer Marti Frederiksen and recorded two brand new songs, “Blinded By the Sun” and “Are You In There Anymore,” which are available digitally and on a very cool 7 inch double-sided single album.
At the heart of Brother Cane‘s long-awaited return to the stage are its founding members, Damon Johnson (lead vocals, guitar) and Glenn Maxey (bass) who originally formed the band in 1991 in their hometown of Birmingham, AL.
Johnson is known for his distinctive guitar skills, vocals, and other notable projects including Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, and of course the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd. And, our followers are likely to recognize the the new additions to the band Tony Higbee (guitar) and Jarred Pope (drums) from Tom Keifer’s solo band.
To say that this return has been highly anticipated, would be an understatement. We caught a glimpse of things to come last year at the Monsters on the Mountain festival in Gaitlinburg, TN, but watching Johnson play that slide guitar up close and in our faces and Maxey lay down his groove as he waved the neck of his bass towards the drums was better than we could have imagined.
Brother Cane’s set highlighted their celebrated debut spawned the #1 single “Got No Shame”, as well as “That Don’t Satisfy Me,” and “Hard Act to Follow,” which ultimately earned the band U.S. tours with Aerosmith, Robert Plant and Lynyrd Skynyrd way back when.
Other highlights included selections from their second album Seeds and third album Wishpool, as well as the two new songs mentioned above. Other favorites included “Hung on a Rope” and “Machete.” And, when they introduced the first new single live, fans were begging for the second, and in return, were promised even more new music from the band, as they plan to keep the reunion going with a full album release.
Orianthi Penny Panagaris, known to her fans as Orianthi, is best known for her work with Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper’s touring band. In fact, Brother Cane frontman Damon Johnson joked that he when he handed off the reigns to Orianthi after his brief time in the Alice Cooper band in 2011, that Alice claimed he was trading one ‘hot chick’ for another…so, it only seems appropriate that these two amazing guitar heroes would be sharing the stage with their own bands on a Saturday in the ‘Burgh.
Bringing a blend of pop, rock, country, blues, and even some punk, Orianthi kicked off her set with the song “Light it Up” from her 2022 album Rock Candy. The album was released on Frontiers Music Slr last October and features the multi-talented Jacob Bunton, who handled production and several instruments and Kyle Cunningham on drums.
She continued to impress fans throughout the evening with originals and an eclectic blend of covers that showcased her chops like the ZZ Top favorite “Sharp Dressed Man” and what she called a punk rock cover of Michael Jackson’s “Black or White.” Our only complaint was that she’s so petite that it was challenging to watch her shred as a crowd naturally gathered around the stage to get an up-close view.
Other highlights from her set included her own “Contagious” and “First Time Blues,” as well as the Jimi Hendrix classic “Voodoo Child,” which closed out the evening after she lit the place up with her 2009 hit single “According to You” from her solo album Believe.
Her touring band featured Justin Andres on bass, Randy Schrager on drums, and ‘The Bandit’ on guitar.
The Brother Cane reunion tour with Stone Horses continues tonight in New Jersey, with Orianthi joining on select dates as indicated below. Check the band’s website and socials for the latest updates:
November 12 – Dunellen Theater, Dunellen, NJ
November 16 – Castle Theater, Bloomington, IL
November 17 – The Token Lounge, Westland, MI **
November 18 – Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL **
November 29 – The Concourse, Knoxville, TN
November 30 – Barrelhouse Ballroom, Chattanooga, TN
December 1 – Exit IN, Nashville, TN
December 2 – Minglewood, Hall, Memphis, TN
*Brother Cane only ** Plus Orianthi
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Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 11/12/2023.
